Underneath It All
by EvoIIICE9A
Summary: As children they befriended each other but as time passes by, are they able to keep that friendship that they had when they were kids alive? *ItaxDei, ItaDei* *Warnings: AU, Language, Violence, Sexual References*
1. Innocent Moments

**Series:** Naruto  
**Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 04. Puppy Love  
**Rating:** K  
**Word Count:** 758  
**Warnings:** None  
**Summary:** Innocent moments are always the sweetest

**Bonus Writer Notes:** So this is the first one that I have done for my 30 prompt challenge for Itachi x Deidara. This is more of a cutesy one and its strange because I usually don't write 'cute' . They aren't going to be written in order as you can tell so its more of when I come up with ideas for each one of them.

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**Innocent Moments**

Today was a beautiful clear sunny just like it had been in the previous weeks, the soothing winds of Spring caressing the tender skin of all the happy children playing around the trees, climbing the jungle gym, generally being the children they were as a whole. All of them except for one who sat under a tree far away from the giggling group with his nose permanently attached to the stories of treachery, fraud, twist turns and back stabbing plots, so engrossed that anyone that came close to him would not have thrown his concentration.

"The brown fox stole the red sock and wouldn't give it back to the gray mouse… aaaah"

That was devious of the fox to do so! The young dark haired boy's eyes narrowed intent of finding out if the mouse was going to get his home back, reaching out blindly to grab the box of strawberry milk taking a deep draw back licking his lips placing it back on the ground, turning the page to find out more of the dastardly deeds of this fox. The sound of the school bell ringing loudly that signified the end of the day not stopping Itachi from discovering the truth nor the taunts of "Bookworm" and "Nerd" on the way past that would have hurt the feelings of the regular child only that he wasn't like them. Hearing the call from his mother that it was time to leave, Itachi packed up his book bag dragging the heavy satchel along the ground, almost tripping over his own feet when it fell into an unseen ditch.

"The paint pot expwoded, un" the youthful blonde told his mother with an guiltless smile while she stripped the layers of colors off that tainted his lightly colored skin. Splatter art more like it with the different paints thrown against the butcher paper surface creating a masterpiece that the teacher didn't appreciate at all. "Who is dat?" he asked pointing at the one that constantly peeked his head out from behind the protective barrier of his mother's leg he was hidden behind to shyly look at him.

He however was a big boy and wasn't afraid of no one and he was going to show that, striding over to the smaller boy with a huge smile that squinted back with his one visible azure eye. "My name is Deidara. What's yours?" "…Itachi" "Let's be friends, un!" From that point onwards with the most simplest of words uttered, the two were inseparable doing everything together, they sat together for lunch, play dates at each others houses and even sleepovers.

"Fwankkuu Mrs Uchiha" the blonde chimed happily with another day of adventure and exploring at the Uchiha household, taking Itachi by the hand leading him outside while steadily balancing his plate complete with sandwich and juice box on the other. Together they ate their lunch with Deidara musing of the delicious taste of the peanut butter happily crushed between his bread, curiously glancing over at Itachi to see that he was looking back at him. "Whaaaaat?"

In the midst of confusion that Deidara was suffering looking around to see what Itachi was staring at, the dark eyes boy quickly moved in and pressed his lips against the other's, pursing them hard, squinting his eyes closed locking the blonde in a kiss. Breaking away from the act of purity caused Itachi withdrew into a little ball blushing back at Deidara in a bashful glance away when his cheeks started to burn red. Maybe he shouldn't have done that, he saw mommy and daddy do it before, maybe it was for them only? "I love you, you are my first friend" he spoke quietly.

Without any warning Itachi was knocked to the ground by the outstretched arms that settled around his neck, snuggling his head under the bigger boy's chin happy to hear the words that he always wanted to hear, so much that he cheerfully exclaimed "I wuvu too Itachi. We will be fwiends forwever, un!"

Standing by the back door quietly watching on, tender lips turned upwards in a gentle smile as he managed to come out at the right time to witness her son's first confession towards another, his first friend, dare she say… his first puppy love since the young blonde was all that he talked about when he wasn't around. Later she would have to sit down and explain to him the difference between boys and girls but for now, she was happy to let him experience their innocent love.


	2. Crash Boom Bang

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU**  
Prompt:** 15. Storm  
**Rating:** K**  
Word Count:** 1, 171  
**Warnings:** None  
**Summary:** Even the strongest of people have fears.

**Bonus Writer Notes:** Ummmm none… sorry -hangs head-

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**Crash Boom Bang**

"Tachi! Tachi! Look how deep I can go, un!" the ecstatic blonde called out, waving his arms wildly about catching the attention of the one he was calling out to at the other end.

Deidara happily waded around the pool, now the perfect weather for swimming with Summer taking its effects, facing the muggy temperatures of the days that bring the forecast of rain for later in the evening. Little legs frantically kicked about wanting to get deeper into the water but he was told not to go out too far by the supervisor watching over them, a nodding agreement saw him paddling back to shallow waters, held above the water surface by the bright yellow duck looking floaties around his arms. While he could go that deep as he had been, Deidara couldn't yet swim, only managing the somewhat doggy paddle splashing water everywhere from the little legs kicking about, fighting to make sure his head didn't drop into the water. He was proud of what he could do but Itachi was far more skilled at everything that he done, he could make it up to the deep end and he didn't require floating devices.

The answer received was only a quick nod at the way Deidara was swimming about, unfortunately he was never one for words of praise or even speaking in general. He was a very quiet child. The call out was made by his mother to come inside and have a bath to get ready for dinner, it was getting late and she was responsible enough not to leave the boys in there for too long to catch the chills. One by one they were ushered out, dripping trails of water through the house followed by small footprints up to the bathroom, stripped of their clothes and bathed, back down stairs for a warm dinner and the promise for a stay up late night to watch a movie. National Treasure was the one of choice tonight with the pair content with the decision because it had adventure and things to learn about. The movie was only half way through when the heavens opened up in a downpour, the soothing sounds of the rain beating against the roof top drew the blonde over to the window, pressing his face against the glass in awe at the sight. He loved the rain and there was one thing that he loved even more.

First cracks of thunder and lightening sounded causing chaos at the window from the boy running back and forth insanely excited, pointing at the fading colors of purple , blue and yellow for his friend to come and view it with him. "Huwwee huwwee you'll miss it" he waved his friend over, turning his head to look at him just in case he went unheard but there was nothing but an empty space and a pillow occupying where Itachi used to be. He must have needed to go to the bathroom, they did drink a lot of juice.

Twenty minutes of intently watching had him on a high, how he wanted to go out there and run around under the cold beads of water, spinning around in circles watching the display up close. Itachi was really missing out on something… wait a minute where was Itachi? It has been a long time since Itachi returned so curious Deidara had to investigate, sneaking from room to room, ducking and weaving between furniture like he was a secret agent on a mission to catch the bad guy. Bad guy one spotted in the nursery nursing the crying baby that had been woken with the first thunder strike, bad guy two sitting in the study doing some adult stuff but his secret agent partner was still missing. Dropping to the ground on his belly, Deidara crawled along looking under each door that lead into the bedroom until he got to Itachi's, propping to his knees shuffling into the room. Bright eyes looked at the roof when the loud bang sounded giving a small bounce wishing he was outside to watch it but there was another sound in the room, a whimper from behind a sky blue door that was to his right. Scuttling over to the direction an ear was pressed against the thin wooden surface, listening to see if the sound was made again. Another loud crack, louder than before and so was the strange noise coming from behind.

Slowly the opening door revealed a pair of ruby glowing eyes behind the veil of midnight peaking up shaking in fear from the huddled up arms they were hiding behind, curled up in the corner was the missing child quivering visibly. "Don't tell Deidara" he pleaded, thinking that it was his mother than had come in to check on him, not the one he didn't want to see him like that who crawled inside the walk in wardrobe, tugging the door closed behind him.

Crouching down in front of Itachi giving a confused tilt of his head to the side, asking curiously "Why don't you want Deidei to know?" His bottom lip extended in a pout wondering if it was something that was about him that was the problem. "Are you afwaid, un?" shuffling in closer to his frightened friend.

The thunderous crack directly overhead explained it all perfectly for Deidara, hearing the yelp of fear that balled tighter up to cover his ears, pressing against them hard trying to prevent a cry out for his mother to come and save him. He didn't want to be a coward in front of the younger one, he would laugh at him for being so weak but every time the loud rumbles echoed from above it shook the room, feeling like the walls were going to collapse in on him. "I hate thunder" Itachi confessed in a whisper.

Gentle warm arms wrapped around him resonating the feeling of being protected like his mother was holding him, keeping him safe while singing sweet lullabies to him to help ease his mind, feeling his tense muscles loosen under his embrace. "I will protect you, un" Deidara told him, putting Itachi's mind at ease, allowing himself to gently close his eyes, not so much afraid as he was before.

Mikoto had found them sleeping peacefully together hidden away in the cupboard, saying a silent sorry to her eldest for not being there for him of his time of need but it seemed that someone else had some to his rescue instead. One by one she picked the boy's up putting them into bed with each other and pulling up the covers, placing a tender kiss on each forehead wishing them sweet dreams for the night. The noise outside had dull down to a soft grumble, each one still made Itachi jump unconsciously instantly responded to by Deidara, snuggling into his chest to remind him that he was there. With Deidara at his side facing the storm was not that bad, he was his tiny guardian.


	3. Sweet Tooth

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU**  
Prompt: **16. Strawberries  
**Rating:** K  
**Word Count:** 1, 016  
**Warnings:**None  
**Summary:** Sometimes small eyes are too big for their stomach

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**Sweet Tooth**

When it was announced to the class that there was going to be a class excursion twenty little bodies bounced up and down on the spot excited that they get to go out into the big world to do something cool. It wasn't known to them what they were going to do but that afternoon each child was sent home with a note for their parents to sign for permission as well a list of things to bring with them, chimes of 'thank you' coming from every single one of them clutching the beloved paper for dear life as the bell rang, running out to see their parent's waving around the mysterious note that they had to sign.

"Momma! Momma!" happy hands waves around calling out for the blonde beauty waiting for him, running up in a jumping fly attack, caught mid air and swung around with his arms out wide to the side feeling like he was flying. "We are going on an exheeershon, un" he cheered with difficulty. His tooth had fell out a few days ago, becoming a big boy waiting for the tooth fairy to arrive to bring him something special but in the mean time left Deidara with a speech impediment.

A perked head up still clinging around his mother's neck trying to peek over seeing one that was missing, wriggling out of her hold sliding down her legs, skipping over to Itachi who was late getting out of class, still radically waving around white to show him just in case he hadn't got one. "Exhuuuuushon" he cheered again but in reality the small blonde had no idea what he was going to but it sounded fun by the way the teacher had explained it.

Nodding back at him slowly, Itachi too had received the note that he was to hand over as well only he wasn't so ecstatic about it. Not that he wasn't looking forward on going out but he just didn't have that strange happiness streak. "I have to go now, I will see you tomorrow" he said his goodbyes to the other boy received a hug and a happy wave reminding him once again before he left that they were going to be doing something extremely exciting tomorrow.

All night Deidara couldn't sleep tossing and turning wishing that the next day would come faster, staying up all night equaled to 8pm when he fell asleep dreaming about what they were going to do imagining chasing bugs around and eating chocolate. The downfall of staying up late was that he had a bit of trouble getting out of bed waking up late with the quick rush around to get ready to leave, dressing in his usual clothes except a hat put on his head and the bright trail of zinc across his nose to protect him from the harsh sunrays. The day was more for firsts for him being the first time he had rode on a bus too, jumping up onto the seat next to Itachi, talking loudly expressing his imagination about what he thought awaited them, stories radically changing between land of candy to dinosaurs stumping the dark haired boy on what was going on in that hyperactive head of his.

One by one they rolled off the bus in awe at animals walking around, today's field trip was to the petting zoo. Kids cheered loudly walking through with the tour guide showing them each section with all the various animals that they had, sheep, ducks, rabbits, puppies and ohhh kitties. Deidara clung to them not wanting to let them go. Lunch time came not long afterwards, sitting down in rows eating their packs that their parents had prepared as well as a run around afterwards heading off to see the next lot of animals but the devious five year old had plans of his own, tugging on Itachi's sleeve looking around to see if anyone was watching. "Come on lets go and find other fings, un" he grinned, making a break away from the group with the Uchiha in tow.

Cutting through a few fields, blue eyes widened dropping his mouth open at the huge patch of green and red plants knowing exactly what they had stumbled upon. "Suwarbewwies!" Tripping over his own feet as well as taking Itachi along with him didn't stop the boy from crawling towards the tasty fruit, diving into the bushes picking off one popping it into his mouth humming loudly at how delicious they were. Pulling Itachi down to sit on the ground next to him, Deidara offered up a few that he had picked to him before jamming more into his mouth like they were in small demand so he had to eat as many as he could before they were taken away, juice dripping down his chin still not trying to waste any licking at his chin only missing most of it.

"Don't eat too many Deidara or you are going to get sick" Itachi said rationally, nibbling on his own quietly watching shocked at the non stop sweet eating machine.

Twenty minutes later the missing boys had caught the attention of the teachers, sending out a small search party compromising of one teacher and two of the older students calling out for them to see if they responded. When they found them they were certainly going to get scolded for taking off like that. Deep groans gave away their positions, the jet black haired boy sitting quietly looking over his friend who rolled around in pain grabbing his stomach obviously eating too much causing a belly ache, stupidly reaching out for more even though no more could be fit inside. "My tummy huuuurts" he whimpered looking for sympathy only received a shake of a head in disappointment from the teacher, picking him up and carrying Deidara back to the bus for him to rest, joined by Itachi too being in trouble for running off.

He was most certainly not going to be eating anymore of them again ever… well at least for a couple of days.


	4. Glowing Wonders

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU  
**Prompt: **08. Magic  
**Rating:** K  
**Word Count:** 1, 409  
**Warnings:** None  
**Summary:** Magic exists even if it's not what you expect

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**Glowing Wonders**

School holidays had come bringing the end of the year for the youngsters of pre school, someone of them were sad to be leaving their friends behind over the long break period with promises to come over and visit while others looked forward to leaving their homes behind to go and spend it with family members who lived far away or to go on holidays to far off places. Itachi was one of the lucky ones that got to go somewhere else but his was different, not with his family but with another after being invited by Deidara's parents to go away to a resort up in the mountains to spend the recently cooling Autumn nights.

Everything was packed and accounted for, just to make sure Mikoto went over everything again not wanting to have him left without something vital. Underwear, clothes, warm clothes, swimmers just in case, pajamas… that seemed to be everything, all nice and neatly packed away into his duffel bag along with a few of his favorite books and some new ones that he had bought him just for the occasion. It was touching to see him dressed up ready to go away on his first trip away from home, the first time he had been away from her since he was born, a moment that was hard for any mother to go through to see her baby boy growing up, having to let them go out into the world on their own. "You all ready to go baby?" she sweetly asked primping his clothes to make sure he looked perfect.

A gently nod showed that he was, dragging the over-packed bag behind him down the stairs quickly taken off him once he got to the bottom with the packing that would see him through for a month when it was only a week they were going away. Into the car and out to his friend's household, climbing out of the luxury car with his bag slung over his shoulder looking around for someone to come out and attack him, stiffening his body ready for the attack. And right on time came the blonde bouncing out the front door ecstatic that he had arrived, dressed brightly in emerald and blue light winter clothes pouncing on the one that had enough layers on him to resemble the Michelin Tyre Man. Giggling he told Itachi about all the things they were going to do out there and where they were going, there was going to be a nice old style cabin and forest to explore in and camp fires and marshmallows! Itachi tried to process his rapid speaking blinking a few times interpreting the words he didn't understand with the strange way he talked, just nodding a lot to say that he understood.

Kneeling down in front of him, his mother brushed his long ebony bangs out of his eyes, placing a tender kiss on his forehead unable to stop the tears of pride that her boy was growing up, the small hand wiping them away telling her that he would be fine. A tight squeeze around his chest telling him how much she loved him and another kiss goodbye, saw Mikoto taking her exit and two boys ready for a trip. It took a long time to get there, a really long time when you were a restless child fidgeting in the back wanting to do something, Deidara tried to keep himself entertained with a colouring in book, showing Itachi every so often what he had done while he immersed himself in the new book he had, glancing over to nod and comment before back into the land of fantasy. Finally the time came pulling up out in front of the private chalet that had been hired, climbing down out of the massive 4WD onto the dirt looking around at the pretty setting like something out of a story book. They weren't allowed to go out and explore straight away instead ushered inside the log cabin to unpack their belongings and sit around to wait for lunch to be made, happily eating their sandwiches once they had been made and then off to find themselves a bear. Itachi didn't want to see a bear.

The week passed quicker than expected with the amount of fun they were having, now on their final night there before having to get back into the car for the long tedious trek home but it was going to be worth their while with the soothing night air at just the right chill for a camp fire. Huddled around the dancing flames the adults helped them toast their sticky sugar balls on a stick, half mouthful of goodness when Deidara asked them if they could go off to the cave that they had found earlier on in the week. A reluctant groan from his father at first not wanting young children just to roam freely around in a potentially perilous place but after persuasion and showing him where it was, he agreed since it was close by, giving them a flash light each and telling them that he will be back in an hour to come and get them before bath and bed. Groaning but agreeing Deidara nodded, crawling into the cave followed by Itachi.

It was really damp inside with the rain they had earlier on in the day but only in the air but that wasn't going to matter because out came the packet of marshmallows that he had palmed from camp side to eat while they hide out. "Are you afwaid of the dark?" the curious blonde asked, shoveling a fluff ball into his mouth. For someone with such a small frame, his stomach was an endless pit. He didn't wait for the answer instead turning the torches off so they were surrounded by infinite darkness not even able to see their hands in front of their face. Snickering softly he felt around for where his friend had got to, finding his face as well as his nose with a finger disappearing up the small cavern by accident, quickly retracting with an ewwwww.

Darkness started to fade with something lighting up the room again, buzzing sounds close by and a dancing light fluttering by them. Not just one but another one then a few more, gathering of small bugs lighting up the damp hideout flittering around their bodies bringing everything back into focus so they could see each other. Deidara's mouth opened in awe at the floating lights one brushing against his nose giggling from the tickling sensation it brought "It's magic, un" he exclaimed reaching out to cup his hand around one of them, opening it up to see the captured firefly inside burning brightly.

"Magic doesn't exist, its just illusions or some kind of reaction to the light" Itachi replied being the rational and knowledgeable child that he was. But still he was in a trance drawn to the beautiful glows resonating from the backs of the strange creatures, magic might not have been real but the element was truly a miraculous experience.

"I wanna take one home, un" he cheerfully announced not caring one bit about the explanation gave, to him it was real magic and extremely picturesque.

The time spent with the special insects was cut short with the time limit expiring, collected and taken back for the shower and bed that they were informed about earlier, waking up early the next morning to pack up and get back into the car for the trip home. The entire time all Deidara could think about was the fireflies, taking out his sketch book drawing in secret until after a long hard hours work he turned it around to show Itachi his masterpiece with a smile, the two of them sitting together with the yellow and green glows around their bodies as memory of the moment. Small warm smile spread across his face taking the picture to have a better look told that he could keep it if he wanted to, Itachi giving a small nod in thanks still staring at the drawing with the slightest turn up of his lips from his normal stoic look that he had. Maybe it wasn't magic although Deidara still believed that it was but to see his friend's eyes light up as vibrantly as the glow worms did in the present was received, that was more of a magical experience.


	5. Global Jet Setting

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 26. Writers Choice -Adventure**  
Rating:** K  
**Word Count:** 1, 407  
**Warnings:** None  
**Summary:** How far would you go to see someone, one last time.

**Bonus Writer Notes: **This was going to be the last of the cute ones... ahh sorry I changed my mind working along with the prompts... 2 more left now -hangs head-

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**Global Jet Setting**

The day has been like any other day, nothing seemed out of the ordinary except that school was still out so each person to their own without the companionship of their friends to go through the day, a few times visiting houses and having play dates out in the park while rugged up in their winter wools was certainly different being that they had became accustomed to seeing them and their teachers everyday. Starting school was one of the most scariest experiences a young child could have but once they got into the swing of it and made friends, they didn't know how they could live without it with everyday being a new and exciting experience. Itachi was a child easily seen to in this kind of situations with the longevity of the break between the schooling year, always keeping to himself before a certain blonde came into his life, entertained with nothing more than literature in his possession to pass the time fascinated in learning more with the young crave of information.

Sitting up in the window sill box of his room rugged up underneath a blanket, he quietly sat reading about the tales of fantasy worlds with strange small people and fire breathing dragons, sighing out an anticipated pant turning the page with things starting to pick up with the confrontation with the fiery mythological creature, reaching over for the small plate of dango at his side that his mother had kindly brought him, not willing to tear his eyes away from the pages of text and pictures. Almost inhaling the sweet dumpling down humming contently in at the delicious taste, turning the page mouth opened awaiting the second ball stopping with hovering lips from the knock at the door. Slowly it opened up with his mother peaking her head through to check up on him, bringing over a warm cup of soup for his lunch, taking a seat down next to him and passing him the telephone.

"Deidara is on the phone for you" she said holding the cup for him being that the other object was more important at the time.

Taking the phone from his mother he slid out of his hiding hole, pacing back and forth talking minimal to his friend with the constant talking one doing all the work for him, giving a nod and an agreeing sound every once in a while in active listening. He had learnt that Deidara wasn't even in the country at all but out in another one visiting his family since he wasn't originally for there which explained the rare hair colour that he had. He told him all about his adventures so far and the souvenirs that he had bought and one thing for Itachi as well that he would give to him when he came back which would be in a few weeks from now so it was something that he could look forward to. Thirty minutes of grunting and a cooling soup later, he was off the phone and back into his seat picking up his book once again now and a fresh cup of soup brought in with a smile and a gentle pet of his hair. Besides bringing him food, there was something else she needed to talk to him about, saving it for another time being he was still on the high from speaking to his cheerful friend.

Over the next passing weeks things around the household started to get hectic even so much that Itachi had noticed, things were going missing, moved around even his father was home from work more than usual, helping with the disappearance of items into a huge truck that had come to collect their things. Sneaking around between all the items and the boxes that they were in, Itachi tried to solve the mystery of the strange actions of his parents only to go and look up at his father and ask him straight out what was going on and in return he got a straight answer that made him blink a few times in disbelief. Moving… they were moving away and very soon with the way everything was being taken away. Searching to see if that was correct he ran straight to his mother to find out the truth getting the same response except in a softer caring tone, apologising for not telling him earlier not wanting to ruin his holidays. But it wasn't the holidays that he was worried about, not one bit, Deidara wasn't home from _his_ holiday yet and if they were leaving soon then he wouldn't be back in time to see him.

Days ticked by waiting for the blonde's long awaited return or even a phone call to tell him the terrible news but there was nothing, even the day that they were to move he still hadn't heard from him. Waking up early in the morning the small Uchiha snuck through the near bare house treading over the creaking floor boards that would have echoed noticeably in the barren space so he did it quietly on tipped toes, dressing himself in the warmest pile of clothes that he could find to protect himself from the harsh snowing elements outside with layers upon layers pulled over his head knowing his mother would not be happy if he caught a cold. Writing a note in crayon for his parents he stuck it to the fridge with the happy smiling face magnet to let them know his plans so there would be no need to cause a commotion, picking up his backpack that was filled with books for the trip as well as a couple of muesli bars, cheese sticks and juice boxes, securing it over his shoulders opening the door leaving the toasty insides of the ducted heating and outside into the freezing cold that sent a shiver up his spine. That was not going to deter him one bit, he was going to find Deidara's place so he could see him one last time before he went away, even if he had to camp outside and wait for him to come home.

Everything was hard to recognise with the snow covered landmarks up to his knee deep trudging through the wet fields, looking both directions crossing the road being a good boy like his mother had told him, following the road to find his way to his friends.

A few hours later the family woke up to the crying sounds of the baby hungry and in need of a feed, Mikoto picking him up from his crib lulling him gently with a hush rocking him back and forth calming his tears. Once he had comforted down into a happy gurgling state, she kissed him on the forehead placing the adorable Sasuke into his bassinette securing him in place so he wouldn't fall out and hurt himself, then out to the kitchen to get him out a bottle of milk, warming it up for him while she started to prepare breakfast, oblivious to the hand scribbled note that was on the surface on the fridge from the waking daze of sleep and the height it was placed at from his small reach. The bottle for the youngest and time for a wake up call of the eldest to organize him for the big day ahead, calling out his name sweetly opening the door into his bedroom to let him know that breakfast was ready for him, only faced with the empty bed. She noted nothing out of the ordinary with him not being there since he was an earlier riser more than likely engrossed in a book somewhere in the house near a heat source but room after room she searched, every empty space made her heart race faster when the missing child wasn't discovered. Nowhere was left unturned, no hiding place too small missed, frantically running through the house suffering from one of the worst fears that a parent could have.

Barging through the doors into the main bedroom the door slammed back against the wall, if that didn't wake him up then the shrieks of dread did, sitting up in bed with a perplexed look from the abrupt wake up. Mikoto covered her mouth in horror, ghost white visibly shaking with widening eyes, he was no where to be found. Her poor baby was lost or even worse, kidnapped by someone.

"Itachi… he is missing!"


	6. Wherever That Road Takes You

**Series:** Naruto  
**Setting:** AU**  
Prompt: **25. Search  
**Rating:** K  
**Word Count:** 1, 274  
**Warnings:** None  
**Summary:** Nothing seems impossible when you are young and full of unshakeable hope.

**Bonus Writer Notes:** Ahh I said two more last time… actually it's two more cute little ItaDei ones now I swear -looks around nervously-

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**Wherever That Road Takes You**

Questioning thoughts playing over in her mind wanting answering for what could have happened to him, why was he gone fearing that someone had snuck in the middle of the night and snatched her baby right out from underneath her. Every time the phone rang it made her heart jump up into her chest thinking that it was some psycho calling up with a demand for random only to sink back down from another call back answering the plea of the fretting mother. Mikoto didn't know what would have brought on such a rash move from her son, she should have told him sooner about the move but she wanted him to enjoy the time he had left without the side thought of getting adjusted to a new place lingering in the back of his mind. He always thought about things like that, she only wanted him to be calm and happy.

The baby in her arms started to wail loudly from the tightening grip she had on him, anxiously running around searching for any clue that could have been left behind, her husband coming out from the room in more of a decent state than he had been from the wake up, leaving the crying child in the arms of his mother since he wasn't the nurturing type. "I have a few men out looking for him, they will report in as soon as they find anything"

A few men? Was that all his son was worth? A few measly low rate Police Officers randomly driving by the streets to look for a child who would have been lost deep within the snow that was falling in buckets, thickening up the heavy mounds already on the ground. Storming off into the bedroom in a huff, Sasuke was placed down on the bed on his back, dressing him in a big puffy jumpsuit, hat and scarf, tending to her own clothes to warm herself up, picking him back up rocking from side to side hushing him to make him stop crying. "If you aren't going to help then I'm going out to look for him" she boldly stated to her husband, grabbing the car keys, going off to the car without so much as seeing the note left for her on the refrigerator door.

"Now if I remember correctly I have to turn here and here and go over there and there is that candy shop that Deidara likes so much, then turn right? No left and then I should be at his house"

The little Uchiha's fingers traced over the quickly drawn brightly colored map he had resting in his lap, the scribbles of crayons and landmarks that he could remember where walked by his fingers taking the virtual steps for him starting from the head that had black hair and red eyes over to the one that had blonde hair and blue eyes, mapping out the journey that had to be taken. It was not so much as artistic as what his friend could have done especially since he always was drawing but it was the best he could do under short notice. Jumping down off the brick wall that he had sat up on, Itachi buried himself up to his knees into the snow taking the final look at the diagram now in his mind, placing it back into his bag and zipping it up carrying on in the direction he thought he was meant to go. The distance he had to travel was great to get to him but nothing was going to stop him from seeing Deidara, dragging his legs through the heavy snow to get back to the side walk, stumbling out onto the concrete freeing himself from the thick blankets of white. Contently he strolled up the road darting his head from side to side to see if there was anything that he recognized out of the ordinary or that what seemed familiar, looking up at the soft petals floating down onto his nose wriggling it to get it off but it already melted from the body heat.

"Ah…" the raven haired youngster exclaimed, taking a turn towards the cross roads. There was the house on the corner that reminded him of a haunted mansion that Deidara always said that he wanted to go into an explore betting that they would find a ghost lurking somewhere inside. Itachi always reminded him that ghosts were nothing more than figments of imagination but thanks to the overactive imaginations he had gained his next bearing, looking both ways and back again, scampering across the road clutching his back pack while it fought to slide off his shoulders, over to the other side.

No one so much had gave the unattended child a second look that walked down the road by himself, the uncaring world not bothering about anyone but themselves and most likely thought he was homeless despite his well groomed appearance. A shy small voice spoke up peering up high at the high between them giving a quiet "Do you know where Deidara's house is?" to the young man who had his arms draped around his girlfriend, responding to his questions only with profanities, guiding her away from the annoying kid that leave Itachi disheartened. He hadn't asked many people to the whereabouts of the house he was seeking but all of them either swore back telling him to go back to his mother or blatantly ignored him, too busy with their lives to stop and help him out.

Walking through the bustling streets filled with people in the mark shopping district, Itachi shivered deeply from the cold chilling him down to the bone, clothes damp caused by the snow realizing that his body was too fragile to suffer the elements for too long. Stopping he blew into his hands to heat the fingers inside his gloves that had started to stiffen under the snap, only getting knocked flat down on the ground face first into the cement holding in the tears from his nose hitting hard against gravel, scratching himself up.

"Watch it shrimp" scoffed one of the group of teenagers on the way past. Climbing back up he sat up, pouting about the remark about his height. He was small for his ages but nothing like Deidara, he just hadn't reached his growth spurt yet.

All optimism started to diminish in the hazy breeze allowing the doubt to creep into his heart about hopes of ever finding Deidara; he wanted to find him no matter what happened, not willing to leave without seeing him. He only wanted to see his friend. Just as all seemed to be lost, a sparkle of aspiration came before his eyes that brought him back to his feet, dusting off the dirt fighting to hold back the smile at the sign in front of him. Quickly Itachi scrambled for his map, holding it up against the other one that looked almost like his, lines marking around a circle and spots that he didn't have but it must have meant the same time. Narrowing his eyes and leaning forward he read each of text that were on the map, nodding that this was what he was looking for. Something was going to come by to take him to the happy blonde's place just like his mother did. Scanning around the area he spotting the sheltered chairs, climbing up and sitting down waiting for that special ride to come along, giving a little swinging his legs. It was only a matter of time before he found him now, that bright light shone once again.


	7. No One's There

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU**  
Prompt:** 19. Lost  
**Rating:** K  
**Word Count:** 1, 391  
**Warnings:** None  
**Summary:** The closer you get, the further away it really is.

* * *

**No One's There**

The wait seemed to last forever in the freezing cold, the short swings back and forth had turned into hugging legs draw up to his chest, rocking softly driving out the stiffening of joints from the internal freezing he was putting himself through. It would be here soon, all he had to do was wait a little bit longer but reality was that Itachi didn't know what he was waiting around for. The map was there just like his so it had to be something good. A few more people started to gather around him standing in front of his limited view, peaking out at the taller people, sinking into the heat resonating from the bodies that drew closer to him from the fight to fit on the bench at once. He was not a child that liked to be touched nor drawn close into someone's body but the warmth he welcomed with open arms, closing his eyes resting on his knees imagining he was in front of a cracking fire and a big oversized blanket wrapped around his, heating his hands on a mug wafting steam of hot chocolate.

One minute it was there and then next it wasn't, the swarm of bodies standing to their feet with a few raised out arms signaling the oncoming vehicle, waving it over to curb side standing around in an disorderly fashion scrambling to board to get the ideal seat. Sliding off struggling to his feet, the young Uchiha dragged along the ground joining the queue, ducking his head around the people to see what he was waiting to get on. It was a big bus, bigger than the one they had been on for the school excursion with two carriages instead of one solid mass, thinking that maybe it was taking a trip to Deidara's neighborhood except all of them weren't there to see him.

Finally it came time for Itachi to climb on board, stepping up onto the ledge walking up to the driver sitting behind the counter that he could barely see over, raising up on tip toes placing his chin on the stainless steel counter struggling to get any higher. The stocky female driver glared down at him with harsh eyes at first, softening at the sight of the poor boy trying clamber up to get to a level where he could be clearly seen, tilting her head to the side with a smile. "Where are you going to hun?" she queried, looking around to see where the parents where that were meant to be accompanying him.

"Deidara's house. I have to see him… before I leave" His heart sank having to say that, he didn't want to leave but still they were making him. If Deidara could come with them then it would have been perfect or just not to go at all.

Little feet gripping into the surface started to slid struggling to keep up dropping back down to the ground, standing back with his head tilted right back to see her hanging over looking around for something. Maybe she was misplaced too and didn't know the directions and that would be bad for all of them. Reluctantly she told him the price for the fare only to get a blank stare back, asking him if he had any money at all. Of course he wouldn't have money, he was a child and they didn't get more than pocket change but she obviously didn't know Itachi, who searched through the endless pockets of his jacket holding the crisp note up in front of her. He raided his piggy bank before he left just for a very occasion like this, his father always telling him that money made the world go round so it was better to be safe than sorry. Change handed back to him placed back into pocket, scurrying back to take his seat jerking back in a hurry just making it as the bus started moving.

Looking out the window he watched the world blur by through frosted glass, wondering what his friend was doing at that moment or if he was back from his holidays yet, searching through his bag pulling out a cheese stick and a box of preserved milk. Sticking the straw in the perforated hole and unwrapping his food, Itachi quietly ate it while one by one people left the bus at their point of stop while he continued to gaze at the landmarks that went by, finishing off his food placing the empty wrappers back in his bag to place in the bin at a later time. Any minute now he would have to get out but all he needed what that sign that told him that he was heading to the correct place, soon it would show itself, he was positive it would.

"I have a child on the bus that doesn't have parents. …What does he look like? Umm he is short, black hair in a tiny ponytail, has very strange coloured eyes, looks like he is wearing his entire wardrobe" The women got on her radio calling through to the depot to inform them about her bizarre traveler on her run, never in her ten years driving around picking up many people from all walks of life had she ever met one that was without the correct supervision. The orders had come through to keep him there for long enough for the proper authorities to pick him up to return him safely to home where he could be deal to instead of having to play babysitting for a kid out on a field trip. "Hey hun what's your name?" she asked after receiving words to see if he was a reported missing child.

Despite the chatter between the other patrons travelling, there was no answer to her question. Looking up in the rear view she scanned the seats looking where he had been sitting which was now nothing more than an empty seat, the other chairs saw no sign of him either like he had just suddenly disappeared like a ghost. Where could he have gone?

Dashing up the road frantically little legs carried him as fast as he could go through the substantial terrain, finding that sign that he had been looking for utterly excited that he was almost there spotting the candy store from the corner of his eye as they had drove past, sneaking off with the hoards that got off at the stop. It was almost how he remembered it to be except it wasn't on the corner of the street but his mind might not have remembered it correctly but still it was the same name. There would only be a couple more turns and the summit would be upon him. Faster he ran turning a few more times and then some more, closer and closer he was getting, the next turn would be the one he needed that lead to the row of houses and one of those was Deidara's.

Step by step the pace slowed down to a dead stop swaying his head panting softly by the hindered run, something didn't seem true to his recollection, the house that he thought that would be there was not. Scratching his head Itachi pulled the map out of his bag, looking over it again while twisting his body around to survey the area making comparisons but nothing was the same as it was on there even with the little attention to detail he had put on it, the residence he sort vanishing into thin air. Sudden panic washed over the boy out of breath running back to where he had been, wildly looking around to find where he was, now taking a better look nothing familiar at all except for the candy store.

"Deidara?" he called out meekly surrounded by endless plains of soft white that were slowly consuming his body. Couching down to his knees he huddled tightly, peeking up looking for anyone that could have been around to attend to him except there was not a soul on the streets, only the whistling howls of the squally winds rushing past his small frame chilling him down to the bone. "Mother?" he asked for another in barely an audible voice, quivering in the unknown land. He didn't know where he was.


	8. Are You There?

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU**  
Prompt:** 23. Tower Block  
**Rating: **K  
**Word Count:** 1, 222  
**Warnings:** None  
**Summary:** When stuck in the darkness, the one thing people need is shelter.

* * *

**Are You There?**

Elements can bring people undone in the most unsympathetic conditions, excruciating high temperatures will dehydrate the body leaving a quench for water that needed to be drank unless it couldn't be received, sucking the life out of a person until they couldn't stand no more causing an adverse effect. Extreme cold brought on the same effect only by the chilling of organs especially in a blizzard situation, ferocious winds relentlessly berating a body staining exposed skin with red from wind burn as they trudge through the waist deep snow looking for any kind of place to hide. While it took its toll on full grown adults that were tougher to handle the weather, the frail smaller body of children weren't, the little ruby eyes poked up out of the icy wall around him, pushing himself to go further still driven by an aspiration that he wouldn't give up on.

Endlessly he had been walking looking for anyone around that would help him, that would pay him the time of day just for a moment asking everyone in near voiceless cries if they knew the way to his friends house or even home, missing his mother terribly. When it came to the end of trading hours the people around started to disperse leaving only drifters on the streets, heading back to their warm soothing houses before the storm hit with vengeance to trap them out away from the creature comforts. Shivering furiously Itachi passed the large built up areas of apartments that the rich had taken a liking to spanning as far as he could see, each one had electronic locking devices and pin coded needed to enter the premises so he couldn't sneak inside to escape. Finding the shelter of a large overhanging tree, he scuttled underneath opening his bag up, stomach growling painfully demanding that he got some of his mother's Homemade chicken noodle soup but shaking the box of sultanas towards it he showed it that it would be the dinner for the night as well as the milk that's weight was increasing, starting to turn from a liquid into a solid.

The sun was starting to set bringing forth the darkness that would plummet the temperature down ultimately causing his tiny frame damage that could only be detrimental for his health. Finishing up his dinner, the Uchiha moved between the row of towers behind the metal fences, peering into each one looking for anyone that could have been around, determined that he would find someone that would be able to help him. He had never relied on anyone previously in his life, always wanting to do things on his own, just to be left alone so he could carry on without the hindrance of someone being in his way from learning what he wanted to but the sinking feeling he held, clinging to the bars shaking with all his might in a plea, he just wanted to see him.

Street lights started to hum from the electricity flowing through them, flicking a few times before coming on strong to light the darkening roads and footpaths with night now upon them. Mikoto dejectedly pushed open the front door to the near desolate house, not greeted with a subtle welcome home that he would have gave her knowing that he was happy to see her home even if his words didn't describe it to vividly. Only the child in her arms sleeping, sucking his thumb comfortable with his position, closing the door brushing the snow off her shoulders utterly silent to keep the emotions that wanted to flood out inside. She had to be strong for her son, she was the backbone of the family but right now she felt as if she was going to have a nervous breakdown. Placing Sasuke down on the bed she changed him out of his clothes into his bed time ones, rocking with him in her chair while giving him the last feed needed so he could sleep peacefully after his big day out, patting his back gently to settle the milk in his belly, tucking him into his cot to sleep out the rest of the night.

Creaking of the door opening up brought her to her feet abruptly, running straight to it waiting for the little boy to come through in his return, whimpering his name kneeling down with open arms awaiting him only to look up at see Fugaku with bags of take away. Standing back to her feet she announced that Sasuke was in bed and that she wasn't hungry, stepping up the stairs to the bedrooms going into Itachi's instead of her own, hand brushing against the light to turn it on with everything one except for a few boxes. Today they were meant to leave with only minimal things behind from the removals trucks taking everything to the new place, scattered boxes left for final pick up where all that remained. Looking down at one of the boxes that had Itachi's adorable writing over it marking what he had put inside for safe keeping, Mikoto opened it up removing a soft teddy bear that she had got for him in preparation for the day he was born, moving to the corner sliding down against the wall, hugging it tightly.

"Please, bring my baby back" she begged, sobbing hot tears into the animal. It was past his bedtime now. He would have been petrified and alone.

Staying up late at night was a big feat when you were young, always wanting to keep yourself awake to make it all the way to midnight so you could say that you were just as good at the big kids but always seemingly passing out not long after nine latest always happened. Itachi wasn't good at staying up late as it was, only now the fight to keep his eyes open was proving a hard task, closing them dropping his head down, snapping them back up with a conscious look around to repeat the process again. Night time was the indication that the time had came to having a bath, jumping into bed snuggling up with warm pillows and blankets except the early onset of hypothermia settled into his body trying to take him into an unnatural sleep.

Itachi knew that he was in trouble that he couldn't get himself out of, little arm struggling to get up high enough to call attention to himself, managing to get his footing on a compacted mound of snow that been pushed away from the gate, elevating himself just that little bit higher. Randomly picking a button to press, his hand smashed against the buzzers for the apartments, deliriously calling out Deidara's name until someone answered on the other side, wanting to know who was causing the disturbance. Answers made no sense in his own head nor to the one listening in finding it hard to speak in coherent sentences, sliding down the pile onto the ground looking through hazy long lashes listening to the approaching footsteps.

Scooped up into arms with a gasp, Itachi tried to open his eyes up further but it was like they were glued into position unable to lift any higher but fall lower. "Momma…" he muttered at the soft featured shadow looking over him, passing out in her arms.


	9. Time Waits For You

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 27. Writers Choice -Lost and Found  
**Rating:** K  
**Word Count:** 2, 035  
**Warnings:** None**  
Summary:** Things we seek are usually right under our nose.

* * *

**Time Waits For You**

"…Momma…?"

His eyes began to open exceedingly slowly feeling the grainy sting of dryness, closing them back down again to rub over the sensitive orbs concealed by the sore eyelids. Again he called out again in a tiny voice from the scratching in his throat that caused the rasping plea, followed by a deep chesty cough, covering his mouth up with his hand so germs wouldn't be spread, feeling the inner rumbling inside his chest that felt like he was about to tear open. This was the repercussions of being outside in the cold weather for an entire day and part of the night, his lungs drawing in those prolonged frozen breaths repetitively until congestion constricted the small organ bringing on the flu he was starting to suffer.

Dark red eyes opened up once again, looking around curiously at the unknown place that he had found himself in. Everything in the room was splashed with shades of pink, walls covered with floral wallpaper, bedding set lines with teddy bears, chested drawers and matching desk, this room was not decorated for a boy even he at a tender age knew that this would most definitely be a girls room. But what was he doing in a room like this? Itachi had no recollection on how he got there or where he was, last memory was trying to get out of the blizzard and the shadow that watched over him. Was it an angel? Of course not, he didn't believe in angels and the only one close enough to consider being that was his mother.

A sudden jump from the knock on the other side of the door snapped the young boy awake, lifting his head up as if he was trying to see over an invisible wall while the door opened debating what kind of person would come in behind it. Maybe it was his mother, they were about to move so she could have found him and taken him away before he got to see Deidara. That he didn't want, not one bit, starting to fret that his last chance to see him had been removed with all of his efforts in vain.

"Ah you are awake my child. How do you feel? You were deathly cold last night and I was fretting about your safety. But at least now you are awake. Would you like some tea or a glass of milk? I can make you some breakfast if you are hungry. Where is your mother and father? What is your name?"

Itachi could only stare apathetically while the questions and explanations were blasted at him at the rapid rate that his barely awake mind could understand, blinking gradually between pauses of breath while she started up again in the assault. He wasn't at home or at Deidara's, he doubted that this was even the apartment block anymore. He was trapped in a house with a silver haired grandmother that was bound to speak about boring things about how it was down at the bingo hall. He had a grandmother too, only one since the other passed away before he was born but she talked exactly like her except a little slower. "I'm not allowed to talk to strangers" he quietly replied once she had stopped for a moment, rubbing his throat really wanting to take her up on that offer for a warm glass of milk and maybe a bit of honey. His mother always made it for him when he had a sore throat.

Slowly due to her age and bad hip, she lowered herself down onto the end of the bed to press her hand against his forehead wanting to feel the temperature that was certain to be high only to face a frightened child pulling away from her. "Your mother is very wise so I will introduce myself. My name is Mrs Takihito" she started, extending her hand out to his instead in a polite greeting, smiling at the reluctant child took it with a shake. "We found you last night outside the apartments where my daughter lives and you fell asleep in her arms. She couldn't take care of you since my granddaughter and her are going away on holidays this morning so I brought you back here to warm you up but it seems you have caught a cold" Her voice raised in the childish manner that you would speak to someone his age, dulling down the words for the simple mind could understand. "Now that I have introduced myself, let's get you breakfast and you can tell me who you are"

Nodding slightly still a bit overcome by it all, Itachi slid out of bed and followed behind her not taking the outstretched hand that was offered for a guide, looking up at her the entire time with a small request for some warm milk and honey but nothing to eat. Hearing what he wanted she set off to the kitchen and started to boil some milk, Itachi taking a seat at the counter, still with his eyes firmly fixated on her. "My name is Itachi, thank you for giving me a place to sleep for the night" Never disrespect your elders, that was something that he took serious. "I'm looking for my friend but I lost where he lives"

The warm mug gently placed down in front of him with a few shortbread biscuits in case he did want something to eat after all, the one who announced herself as Mrs Takihito took a seat opposite the counter, dunking a tea bag into her hot water, smiling sweetly back at him. "Does your parents know?" she asked discarding the used bag in a bin.

"I left them a note"

It might have not have been the smartest decision that he had made in his life but he thought it was the right thing to do, his mother would have found it and known where to go in fact she might have been there right now waiting for him to show up. Ooh he had to find Deidara's house quickly or else she might be worried about him.

* * *

Last of the furniture started to cycle into the loading truck in the front yard, Mikoto watching each piece carried away not caring if anything was broken or how it was handled, her son was still missing and it had been an entire night. She had never spent that long away from him and the way that the snow came down… she didn't want to think about it but all night she stayed awake waiting for him to return. 

"We have to go and look for him" she yelled again frustrated with the lack of consideration from her husband, biting her nails down to skin, sick with worry about him. He wasn't a teenager who was capable of taking care of himself, he was only five years old.

Still no reply from Fugaku too worried about making sure everything was taken and nothing left behind, Sasuke happily gurgled from his bouncer watching all the excitement of the move finding it absolutely amusing. That was the final straw for Mikoto, moving out the way while some of the kitchen appliances moved past her, kneeling down in front of her baby boy, picking him up resting him on her hip. "I am going and I don't care… wait wait wait!" she cried out to the next lot of removalists that went past, placing Sasuke over back where he was.

Kneeling down on an angle she looked at the fridge door that had been cleared off a few days prior to make sure nothing would get lost but now there was a piece of paper stuck on with a magnet with the scribbled writing of an underdeveloped hand. Snatching the note up she quickly scanned over it, covering her mouth up from the clue that he had been there all the time and she hadn't noticed. What kind of a terrible mother was she leaving such a place unlooked. "He is at Deidara's!" Mikoto exclaimed loudly to her ignorant husband, snatching Sasuke up running to the car, buckling him it and leaving as fast as she could.

The note still held firmly in her hand while she drove, pushing the speedometer over the recommended limit for the area without a worry of being pulled over by Police. Even if they did work for her husband, that alone wouldn't slow her down. She was going to get to her baby as fast as she could, praying that he made it there safely having the warm place to stay, completely forgetting for that brief moment that they were away on holidays in hope that they returned early.

* * *

"Wait here, I'm going to try and find your mother" Mrs Takihito told Itachi, offering him a seat in the lounge room to watch some television while she went to call the Police to see if there were any children that had been reported missing.

Itachi didn't want to watch anything at that moment, sighing loudly following by a lot of coughing and more frequently from the musk smell throughout the house that irritated his lungs. He wondered what they were all doing, walking over to the window sitting down on the seat looking out the window with sad eyes. All hope was fading quickly, he was never going to find any of them again, forever to spend the rest of his life with the nice but really chatty old lady to help her knit and clean. He didn't want to knit, that was a girl thing. Sighing once again he placed his hand against the cold glass, peering out at the falling snow only to stop mid exhale, choking down the coughs that wanted to come out. He couldn't believe it.

"Deidara!" he squeaked, wiping away the mist over the window staring at the house across the road. That was his house, he was positive of it, the 4 Wheel Drive pulling up in the driveway he certainly remembered from how hard it was to climb up into it. He had found him, Deidara was there, his friend he spent all that time searching for was right there in front of his eyes.

Jumping down off the window seat at a speed that might have been classed as fast as lighting, Itachi opened up the front door and ran outside to the street, quickly darting his head back and forth checking for traffic, waiting for a couple of cars to pass and then ran over to the other side. There he was, getting out of the car! He called out his name but his voice couldn't get loud enough to be heard, running fast as his legs could carry him grabbing him from behind, hugging his back that caused a gasp of shock from the long lost blonde.

"Itachi what are you doing here, un" Deidara asked with a huge smile, loving the fact that he had come to see him just as he come home, spinning under the hold to hug him back. It has been a long time since he had seen him and he had so much he wanted to show and tell him about his holidays plus he had a present for him.

"Hi Itachi. Where's your mother?" Deidara's father asked, quickly finding out from the luxury vehicle tearing up the driveway coming to an abrupt stop.

His name called out loud made him turn to see what was going on, turning to see his mother coming up as well, captured from behind from the long slender arms being hugged in the same fashion that he had done to Deidara earlier. "Itachi…" That was all she could say, sobbing hot tears embracing them both sandwiching her son in the middle, smothering him with kisses from the final relief that he had been found, alive and well.

Blinking a few times, Deidara's face wrinkled up utterly confused on what was going on, simultaneous looks coming from his parent's, looking over at elder women who joined their side that lived across the road. It seems like they had missed out on something.


	10. Goodbye My Friend

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 20. Cry  
**Rating:** K  
**Word Count:** 2, 770**  
Warnings:** None**  
Summary:** Friendships made finally drawn to an end.

**Bonus Writers Notes:** This is the final cute chapter for the two, for real this time

* * *

**Goodbye My Friend**

The lounge was heating up to a night temperature from the newly lit fire, warm cups of coffee for the parents and hot chocolate for the children were brought over by the tall almost super model like blonde, placing a plate of biscuits of the table for everyone to share. Together the boy's sat together with a blanket huddled around their shoulders carefully placing marshmallows into their drinks watching them swell from the liquid leaving the parents in the distance with hushed voices, Mikoto explaining the story to them of the tales of the missing child that now had been returned. Of course it wasn't because he had just simply decided to run away from home before life was bad, informing them of the plans that they had arranged to move away to a new home that was on the other side of the country. Understanding now on what was going on brought sounds with it, smiles as they drank their coffees embellishing on what was going to happen especially with the boys becoming so close. Already know with his cross country adventure, Itachi wasn't taking it well.

An agreement came between the two families, his final night would be granted to stay at the house he spent all his time trying to find, giving him the chance so he would be able to explain to his friend on what was going on and what would be coming. Mikoto didn't want to put her son through that but she knew that he would rather do it than be told by his parents, he would try and make it as easy as possible for him but he had put his body through a lot of stress hearing the loud rasping cough, making a quick trip away to come back with a fresh change of clothes and some medicine to help him through the night.

"I will be back tomorrow" she smiled at him, adjusting the rug over the two of them after giving him both a hug. She wished she never had to put this on him but there was no other choice.

* * *

The day was spent with many tales shared by Deidara about his visit to see his family, about his grandmother who had a strange obsession with pulling his cheeks and his cousin who was so cool because she was going to work at a zoo soon and he loved animals. All the different foods that he got to try and this really tasty almond slice stuff that he wanted to bring home for Itachi to try but it would have been spoilt by then but he would have liked the food, so different to Japanese with all the creamy sauces they put on their dinner to kill the icky taste. "I wasn't booorn here. I was born over there, un" he told Itachi happily, sorting out pieced of the puzzle that the two of them were putting together.

Although the Uchiha never questioned his strange appearance from the rest of the children, there had been a few of the bigger ones that used to pick on him, calling him a worthless half breed because of his blonde hair and blue eyes that were uncommon in that society. So what he was a pure blooded Japanese, he didn't care, instead he got the best of both worlds being able to speak in two languages while they only knew one so they all had no clue when he was making jokes about them. Then again Itachi would have understood since he wasn't like others as well, his eyes were so unique from the shade of red in them that reminded him of a possessed dog or something but he thought they were pretty.

Looking down at the puzzle they were trying to complete, Itachi opened his mouth in hesitated speech trying to find the time to tell him what was going to happen when they woke up, chewing on his lip as he tapped another piece into place finding them better to focus on. "I'm moving away tomorrow. I won't be able to see you again" Never again. He was going to lose the first friend he had ever made because they just didn't want to live there anymore. To Itachi it was the most devastating thing in the world.

Tilting his head to the side watching Itachi's intent gaze on the floor he could see that he was sad and so was he to know that he was going to lose his friend but it wasn't something that they had to dwell upon for the night since it was the last time they were to be together, instead the blonde propped up to his feet and ran out to the lounge room calling out "Close your eyes, un" to him on the way out.

Just he was instructed to; Itachi closed his eyes hard rocking a little on the spot waiting for him to come back, listening to the heavy thudded footsteps of him bolting around the house. Everything floorboard in the place was wooden so it echoed dramatically whenever there was someone running and it creaked really badly when you were trying to be quiet to sneak around. Deidara had taught him about every spot that made a noise for whenever they were up early morning and he wanted to steal some chocolate syrup before his parents woke up so they would have to tread lightly through the house into the kitchen so he could feast on the overly sweet syrup. He always had a sweet tooth; he should have brought Deidara something to remember him by only that he didn't really have much on him. Maybe if he snuck out in the morning and went down to that candy store on the corner he could have got him something. Still he knew it wouldn't have been the same as something that wouldn't have lasted more than five seconds in the hands of the chocolate fiend. But Deidara certainly had been gone a long time.

Finally the door opened again with an out of breath blonde barging in, running back and forth to find what he wanted to show him only he thought he had lost it and went into a panic, searching every room until he spoke to his mother and found out that she had been keeping a hold of it just so he wouldn't lose it. A few quick breaths brought him down to his knees in front of the Uchiha, clearly his throat as he got into position smiling widely not going to make him wait anymore.

"I bought you a pwesent seeee?" Tapping Itachi on the shoulder he told him that it was alright to open his eyes, holding out the gift that he had purchased on his holidays, knowing as soon as he saw it he knew that he wanted to bring it back for him. Outstretched in his hand were two necklaces that dangled by the black string wrapped around his fingers. "One half is yours and the other is mine" Pulling them apart into the individual necklaces, Deidara laid one down on the ground out in front of him, shuffling around to his back draping the pendant over his chest, fastening the clip at the back for him before shuffling back with a smile. "Best fwiends forwever no matter wat, un" he cheerfully smiled picking up his own half and adjusting it around his neck.

Reaching out Deidara embraced him tightly knowing that he was trying his best to be brave about it, slowly brings his arms around in the same fashion hugging him back, softly nodding into his shoulder. "Forever" he muttered certainly wanting to keep that promise more than anything. A gentle knock at the door broke them apart with the call for bed time, ushering the boys off into bed and kissing their foreheads giving them wishes of sweet dreams, turning the light off and leaving them to sleep. Itachi didn't want to sleep at all, the earlier he fell asleep the faster the next day would come but Deidara was already in the land of slumber, breathing gently against his neck. Fingers twisted around the pendant on his neck that hung down close to his heart, closing his eyes clutching it tightly as well as the blonde that snuggled up close to him, unable to resist the weariness of the day drifting off into sleep also.

Bright flashes of light woke him up groaning softly in complaint that turned into coughs from the shift in positions to sit up, rubbing the daze away wondering what was going on. Another flash caused him to crack his eyes open looking between the slit of his fingers using them as a shield as a mischievous giggle came followed by another flash almost like he was stuck in some kind of weird photography booth.

"Smile, Itaaaaachi!" sung the happy blonde, taking another snap with the camera he had in his hands. It wasn't his or anything, he had just 'borrowed' it from his mother to use for the day and he was happily snapping pictures of the once sleeping Uchiha because he looked so cute like a little puppy dog when he woke up. He was determined to document every last step they made before his parents came around to pick him up including the first stop to breakfast, taking snap shots at the brightly coloured sugar coated fruit loops, then onto getting changed laughing loudly at the one picture he got of Itachi with the toothbrush stuck in his mouth while he was cleaning himself up. Next it was him taking cough medicine, him trying to run away, him locked in the cupboard and then flat on his back when Itachi made his attack to get out of the closet pouncing on top of him.

"What about pictures of you?" Itachi asked, snatching the camera of his hand finish getting off some shots for his revenge. But better yet wouldn't it have been better with the two of them together?

Standing back up to his feet he gave Deidara a helping hand, standing side by side with each other and the camera out at arms length in front of them, hitting the button for a picture with this time they were both in. That was so much better with just himself hogging the shots. Again and again they posed for the shots, moving about the house making sure they got one in every room until the noise of someone pulling up outside on the drive way made all giggles silence. The two boys looked at each other tightening the grip around Deidara's arm he knew the time had come, walking together to bedroom to get his bags, waiting at the front door all packed up but not wanting to go. A happy greeting from his mother followed from the hard scowl of his father behind him only brought the reality closer, together along with Deidara's parents they walked out to the car, Deidara's hand dropping to his own interlocking their fingers together with a taut squeeze. "It's time to go now sweetie" Mikoto told him, petting his hair softly before going back to the car to wait for Itachi.

Turning to each other there was only a small nod, Itachi gave him a faint smile keeping a brave face saying "Goodbye Deidara" to him, letting go of his hand walking to the car. A lump rose up in his throat that had to be forced down, fighting back tears that he didn't want to come out, hanging his head low knowing that it was the end. He was never going to see him again; they were moving so far away that he would forget all about him and he would be lonely from not seeing that cheery face to greet him at preschool or to sit down and listen to him talk about the most random things. This was seriously tearing him apart.

"Itachi!" he cried out running up behind him. He wasn't going to let him leave like this, he wasn't going to say goodbye to his friend just with a simple goodbye and leaving it at that, he wasn't just a friend. He was his best friend. Jumping up on his back from the size difference that almost knocked him to the ground, Deidara clung onto him, holding onto him around his neck smothering his face into his jumper. "You can't go. I don't want you to, un" he yelled sobbing furiously into him. It wasn't fair, it wasn't! He wasn't allowed to go. Dropping down back onto his feet he turned Itachi back to face him crying uncontrollably into his chest, wiping his runny nose on his shirt accidently while he tried to work out any way they could stay together. Maybe they could run away and find somewhere else to stay but then tell their parents where they were so they wouldn't worry, that way everything would be fine.

Gently he moved his face away from him, cupping his small cheeks wiping away the warm tears with his thumb with tender smile at him to let him know that it was going to be alright. "Please don't cry" he pleaded, using his sleeve to wipe the boy clean. Slowly he moved in closer and placed a gentle peck on his lips like he had before when he had first told him about what he felt for him, a mistaken childhood crush was real with the friendship that they both shared. Nothing was going to take that away from them. "We will see each other again one day" He could only hope that his words were true.

A tight embrace shared between them left neither of them wanting to leave from each others arms, who would have thought that a destructive and hyperactive blonde that couldn't pronounced his words correctly and an overly shy, solitary brunette who didn't like to be in the company of anyone could have became friends, best friends. Somehow it happened and both were thankful for every day they got to spend with each other but now it had to come to an end. Bending down going into his bag, Itachi pulled out a book for him and handed it over, it wasn't as personal as the sentimental necklaces he had gave him but he didn't want Deidara going without having something of his to keep. The book about that rascally fox that he had been reading the day they met, the last book that had taken the place of the false human contact that he had with the characters, now it would belong to him.

"Forever" he whispered in his ear pulling away, receiving a squeak back of "Forever, un" as the two parted directions again, Itachi standing at the door looking back at Deidara one last time before getting in the car, wincing at the door closed with a slam instantly feeling heavy in his chest. The car started up with a quick couple of revs, reversing out the driveway with Fugaku complaining about how much time that had been already wasted thanks to Itachi's stunt and that he was going to be punished for it once they had settled into their new place but he didn't care. It was worth it to see him.

Shaking his head at the car's rapid acceleration away, Deidara ran after it calling out Itachi's name watching the crimson eyes looking back at him while he received a small wave, a turned corner took him out of his sight only left with hearing the echoes of the car driving away towards his new life. He didn't want him to go to his new life, he wanted him back. "Momma, I want Itachi, un" he called out, unable to keep to his request crying loudly in the street, never knowing he could feel so lonely even after he was picked up and cradled by the one he called out, continuing to bawl into her deep long waves of hair.

"Are you alright?" his mother asked looking over the back seat at him, watching him look out the window at the house that was no longer in sight.

Itachi nodded slightly, turning away from her to stare further out the window, giving her another nod to say that he was. "I'm not going to cry" he said softly, trickles of salt water falling over his cheeks as he held his necklace tightly. He would never forget him, they would be friends forever not matter what.


	11. Fade Away

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 02. I'm Here  
**Rating:** K  
**Word Count:** 1, 561  
**Warnings:** None**  
Summary:** Memories of friends of the past have long since been forgotten, time to move on to the future.

* * *

**Fade Away**

Forever. When spoken by someone it signified that whatever it was they were relating to was going to be for the long term. Marriages, partnerships, friendships. Everyone wishes for these things to exist for that long period but the consideration was never taken into account that in reality, nothing ever lasts that long. Death, divorce, boredom, temptation by infidelities ruined marriages, backstabbing dealings moving onto bigger and better things destroyed partnerships and friendships broke apart just the same. Although that promised that was made by two small five year olds seemed to bring optimism to their hearts as they said their final goodbyes on that chilling winter day, the reality of it was that nothing lasted forever. Forever was a long time and their time had expired.

For at least a year the two had kept in contact with each other via telephone and mail as they learnt to write, each time one of them would arrive in the mail it would bring a soft smile to Itachi's face, reading over the adventures of his friend over on the other side of the continent, just as if he was still there with him every day to grow up at his side. Daily visits to the mailbox greeting the mailman started to become an occurrence, paying no attention to the heaped up bills that his parents were receiving just looking for that one envelope that smelt as sweet as candy and always had a sticker of some sort near his address but time passed and trips were wasted with no reply. Over a month passed without contact that had him worried that someone terrible had happened, calls to his house only replied with the robotic female tone that the service was disconnected, letters finally came but postmarked return to sender. Nothing lasted forever and that was happening to their friendship. Deidara had abandoned him.

Years passed since that time moving forth through life progressing through schooling, onwards to high school with another relocation to start all over again at a new location. Itachi hadn't mind it one bit since there were no friends left behind, the only one that he had was since elapsed with age losing the details of his childhood, being replaced with an abundance of information crammed inside until one day there wasn't even the ghost image of his face in his memory. He too had forgotten that a friend like that existed finding one's self was the best company that you could have.

"Do you want me to pick you up from school?" his mother asked hanging half way out of the car to capture eye contact from her two boys to make sure they heard. They were teenagers; they never listened to what parent's had to say to them. She felt so much pride seeing them both dressed up, her youngest a freshman starting his first day at high school while her eldest was in his last, sporting new uniforms unfortunately due to another move that brought them to another school once again. Neither of them had complained about it except she wanted to see them both stable in a school for long enough to make friends.

Leaning forward into the car, Itachi shook his head. "We can walk home. Need to get used to the area" he replied flatly, long since that cute voice had been around now boasting a husky tone that brought girls falling to their knees when they heard it.

Complaints about having to walk home in the heat of summer received a backhand across his head, Sasuke didn't want to walk but thanks to being silenced it look liked he was going to have to. A motioned finger brought him closer to the car, half way hanging between the door balancing himself only to lose that with a wet kiss pressed into his cheeks making the young Uchiha cringe and scamper back out the way he came. "Mom!" he whined wiping away the invisible marks of his mother's kiss, dusting his cheeks rouge hoping no one had seen that.

Light giggles at her boys, Mikoto wished them the best and drove off leaving them looking up at the mammoth surroundings of their new school. This one was modern unlike the other private schools they had attended, most of them had churches which freaked Sasuke out but Itachi didn't mind them at all, so dark so gloomy and always quiet. Together they walked side by side up to the administrator office announcing that they were new and needed timetables and other necessities that would carry them through the day. Two pieces of paper printed off and slapped down in front of them along with a half ass smile, giving the parting words that she prayed they didn't get lost before sending them on their way out into the vast corridors fending for themselves in the carnage known as high school. A helping hand was given to Sasuke by a group of inquisitive young girls breaking him apart from his older sibling, guided through the hallways assaulted by questions of who he was, where did he come from, did he have a girlfriend, all on a fact finding mission to see if he was available. It had only been the first ten minutes and already Sasuke's popularity was skyrocketing. The curse of the Uchiha was still in full effect with him but it worked out well for him, he liked the attention.

All of Itachi's classes were on the other side of the school, glancing up every so often to see what rooms were around back down to his timetable to see if one of them corresponded with his own, taking a few notes where the ones he would be attending to afterwards would be. Sounds of the bells ringing overhead sent swarms of teenagers to their perspective class rooms, knocking around the lost student that fought to get to the sidelines crushed up against lockers until they died down, starting the trek once again. Class 5-1A was where he was supposed to be for home room, tilting his head up at the sign that overhung the classroom door finding the place finally, slipping off his shoes and placing the mandatory slippers on instead, bowing his head at the teacher on the way through apologizing for his lateness as well as in the customary greeting, taking his seat at the side of the room near the back right next to a window.

One more year until he was free of the juvenile nature of the classroom, catching a paper ball aimed at his head from the attempted hazing of the new student only it was rejected with quick reflexes. Soon he could move on to university where the standards were more to his liking, every class he was in was at the advanced level but even then he felt it to be too relaxed, IQ tests had him tested to be a genius that craved information only not to receive it up to his level that he required. Granted his priorities weren't exactly the same for kids his age not at all interested in sleeping around with everyone they could get their hands on, focusing on drinking underage and defying parent's rules, he wanted to get a good job afterwards instead of unemployment hoping that their dole cheques were going to be enough to see them through to next pay.

Hushed talking around him fell on deaf ears as he gazed outside the window snubbing all conversation held in the wonders of trying to figure out who he was, the same thing that had happened with Sasuke earlier but with less questions towards him personally, wanting to decipher what they could about him just from looks alone. Hah, they were going to be mistaken if they went by them. One by one they stopped for each of their names being called out, a raise of hands and a loud agreement called out informing their teacher that they were indeed in class and not skipping it to smoke behind the gym but one name was stuck on repeat. Over and over again like a broken records skipping it tracks as if they didn't heard it the first time. After two they should have gave up and moved on.

"Yeah yeah I'm here, un" the lazy deep male voice replied, causing a commotion as he bounced through the door fighting with the slippers that were too small. A small group of girls huddled and squealed from their idol finally arriving to school, to them he was the most coolest specimen to every have walked the earth knowing that he certainly would have been one of those kids hanging out having a quick cigarette before class.

Slowly turning his head around to look back at the front of the class their eyes met, staring directly at each other in what seemed everlasting blurring the surroundings with just the two of them in the room. Something about him seemed very familiar that he couldn't put his finger on, whatever it was it wasn't enough to hold his attention for long enough, turning back to the front of the class again, then out the window much more amusing then some rebellion blonde that wanted to arrive late. The fan girls might have been impressed with him but he wasn't.


	12. Rebel And The Geek

**Series:** Naruto  
**Setting:** AU**  
Prompt:** 21. Aloof  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 1, 704  
**Warnings:** Language, violence  
**Summary:** Is it possible to form an instant hate with someone

**Bonus Writer Notes:** I do not endorse harm to animals… especially things… there.

* * *

**Rebel and ****The**** Geek**

Yeah yeah so he was late, what was the big deal about that? Just because he was out of the school oval far away from prying eyes taking in the last of the nicotine that would keep him buzzing in a radical head spin until the call for recess, didn't mean the bitch had to get all anal on him, nagging on how he should be there on time and how it would effect his future. He had heard it all before from the amount of therapists his mother had dragged him to over the years, somehow she thought that someone was wrong with him just because of a few accidents over the years thanks to the curiosity of the internet that might have taken out key parts of a couple of previous schools facilities, vending machines, shattered a tree into a thousand pieces, random other miscellaneous objects, it didn't mean that he was troubled and in need of reaching out for help. He just loved to have fun. And so what is that cat didn't like the firecracker that was stuck up its ass, it did give him a great laugh out of it.

The glance was caught by his own eye staring down the unfamiliar face in the room, most of these with an exception of a few had started off high school with him but this one he did not know. "New kid huh" he scoffed, waving off the teacher and walking up in front of the raven haired teen. Tapping his foot against the thin carpeted floor didn't have much of an impact thanks to sound proofing but he was certainly going to make his point clear, slamming his hands down into the flimsy wooden desk causing everyone in the surrounding area to flinch. …All but him. "Hey bastard, that's my chair" he sneered looking down over him.

Not even eye contact with him as he just smugly continued to stare out the window in disinterest, the blonde had presence about him that others might have jumped to his command but there was no way that he was just going to bend over and take it like that. "I don't see your name on it" He just left himself completely open for that retaliation. As much as he didn't want to use it, it was effective.

That recognition from looking others in the eye was swiftly achieved after a brief chuckle, snatching up the thick dark bound hair reefing back slipping the head from the hand that held it up, pulled back violently stunned for a moment at the crimson eyes blankly staring at them. The guy was a freak; no normal person had pigments that bizarre almost like someone punched him in the face a few hundred times breaking open all the blood vessels that spread out into the iris to taint them. "You think you are funny new kid. Lets see how hilarious you are with my fist in your face, un" This guy really annoyed him, even stuck in that position where he was clearly dominating over him, he looked so distant by it.

A loud barking call from the teacher put him in his place, grabbed by the shoulder and ripped off the other knowing exactly what was about to happen, the same old punishment as usual. "Principals office, got ya" he huffed. His bag collected and the door slammed shut leaving class to resume the same as it had before he had disrupted it. Trudging down the hallways with the bag slung over his shoulder, Deidara clicked his tongue utterly annoyed with the way the morning was starting, barging through the office doors showing a huge overly noticeable fake smile to the stocky man sitting behind the desk. Oh yeah he surely knew who he was.

"A new record I must say Deidara. Next time are we going before the first bell?" the Principal haughtily asked fighting back the sigh of the ignorance of disgruntled youth. Seeing the young blonde happened on a weekly basis, sometimes three times if it was a good week. "And on the first day back at school. Graduation mustn't be on your agenda this year"

Completely ignoring every word that was coming out of his mouth the blonde flopped down into the chair, reaching forth grabbing a pencil, digging the tip under his nails to clean out the filth only leaving behind traced of lead which couldn't be seen under the glossy midnight coats of polish. "What you want me to do this time?" he asked so uncaring, going through this so many times. "I hear the mould is starting to form its own colony in the showers"

Cleaning the school would not be the consequences this time for the young boy, tempting as it sound but he was feeling more than generous today. It was good to start off the school year on a high note. "But you are lucky it's the New Year so I am going to give you a mulligan but I don't want to see you in here for the rest of the week" He thought the offer wasn't too harsh besides somehow he knew he wasn't going to be keeping that promise, not after last year. He was lucky that Mr. Shizuka was so kind enough not to press charges against him.

"Sure, whatever" That was done, time to leave. Wonderful classes filled with bullshit topics that never helped in real life awaited.

Classes over for the day and also a star against his name for keeping it word without any more trouble, the group of now seniors loitered around the outskirts of the school grounds watching the rest of the students walk by on their way home. A couple of younger ones joined them one being a blooming red head that snuck up to Deidara's side, ducking her head under his arm so it was slung over her shoulder giving him a playful smile. A quick greeting silenced as quickly after pulling her up into a heated kiss openly displaying the relationship that they were having… well a relationship in her eyes, Deidara was just using her to get a bit of booty call out of her. "We are about to go and hang out down at the skate park, you wanna come with?" he asked not so much wanting her company but more for the afterwards rewards.

A giddy agreement saw his afternoon set with a smirk, waving a hand for the rest of them to leave as well now that there was no one else missing they had nothing really else to do and hanging around school was not the chaos he was looking for. Few steps forward onto the footpath abruptly brought to a stop, looking up at the tall brunette standing alone for a while before a younger one came over and joined him trailing a group of girls behind him that still kept their distance with nervous giggles from their spying. Given from a side view and afar the two were dead ringers for each other. Looks like he had a brother.

"Well well, baby brother is here too. How sweet, un" Deidara smirked with a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, pushing a finger down into the join causing a whimper from the young boy who had no idea what was going on and why he was being inflicted with pain.

Itachi turned with a deep glare in his narrowed eyes that brought out the profound lines in his tanned skin that ran down to his cheeks, watching his brother held hostage for a stupid reason of a desk. His hatred for this person grew higher but yet all he did was look at him in a stare down, not a care that he was out numbered by the surrounding gang, no one touched his brother and got away with it. "Let him go" He didn't announce it in a threatening manner nor did he raise his voice to get the point across, it was stated monotone, stripped of all pitch completely calm.

The shrimp wasn't any of his concern anyway; it was not what he was after tossing him like a rag doll to the side causing him to land on the ground scrapping his elbow against the concrete tearing skin open. A little blood would toughen him up anyway and he was going to cause that arrogant new kid to go out in sympathy for him, swinging round a balled up first with deadly aim knowing that with his precision he would be leaving him with a broken nose from the force behind it. Payback was going to be sweet, not just for the desk but because he had to sit through one of those lectures that the boring bastard gave. Knuckles connected against warmed skin waiting for a yelp or a cry out, any kind of reaction but there was nothing except for constriction around his hand, only causing the awaiting responses from himself feeling the arm twist around in his socket.

His timing was perfect as expect catching the fist mid flight contorting his body around until the force brought the blonde over to face downwards, arm reefed behind his back left in the position as if accosted by the authorities completely immobilizing him and every time he tried to move it was responded back with another stiff yank. "You should know what the other person is capable of before threatening them" A mistake that would cause him grief one day if he kept up with the underestimation of opponents, next time he might not be shown the mercy as he was showing him, pushing him off into the crotch of one of his sidekicks. An extended hand helped his brother to his feet walking away from the group finally ready and able to return home, leaving behind the extremely irritated blonde.

Each one of them asked simultaneously if he was all right only to be told to shut up by him, he didn't want their pity or their check ups, he could take care of himself. He would admit that the newcomer had peaked his interests only for right now, he was loathing him.


	13. His Analysis

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 13. Test  
**Rating:** T**  
Word Count:** 1, 891**  
Warnings:** Language  
**Summary:** No matter how far away you try to get from someone you always seemed to get stuck with them.

* * *

**His Analysis**

Getting settled into a new school usually was a nuisance for any teenager especially branching out into the social system to mingle with the other students so your time would be spent in making new relationships that would last for a life time or until you moved schools. No matter where it was or what year it had been, the classes always split up into the noticeable pairings that clung together drawing in the types from all over the place. He had been given a welcoming guide around the premise to properly show him where to go and who to look out for by the Senior School Council President as well as the subtle hints of after school clubs to join especially since the newspaper was looking for some fresh new faces to dig for information.

Lunchtime these groups became more predominate crowded around the cafeteria and other parts of the grounds easily labeling each one for who they are. The beauties, the jocks, they were the popular one of the school and ever though they all worse the mandatory school uniform you could still tell they were. Accessories and two sizes too tight for the girls, heavily polished by layers upon layers of makeup covering up the marks of surgery that hadn't properly healed from the nose jobs their parent's had forked out for. The jocks always had some kind of sports equipment around with them, usually a basketball hooked under their arm to bounce at the random moments discussing the upcoming away game when they were gawking over at the beauties, commenting on which one they nailed on the weekend. Further down the line there were the geeks, a group that he would have easily belonged to if he actually wanted human contact. Every moment was talking about the latest games, who had finally reached level 70 in World of Warcraft and who had found the best shrine on the internet for their character of choice. They had evolved from the previous of having their nose buried in books dropping that glasses wearing pimple faced image to evolve into a variety of forms, some good looking others not, all shapes and sizes but all have a love for their consoles and television shows of choice.

All and any group you could think of were accommodated for as well as those rebellious ones that had people cursing and squealing at the same time for their stick it to everyone attitude. Self proclaimed bad boys and their sleep with everyone skanks trolling around doing nothing productive with their time except for drink and smoke it away, not worried about the future since the life of a street worker is quite productive, unless you end up dead. It wasn't like Itachi has singled out any of the packs to hate, each he equally detested with the labels pushed upon them because it was the way of society, just that none he fit in so he became what was considered a loner hiding away from them all for a moment of peace and quiet instead of having to listen to the bullshit of gabber except for class that was, another beginning of the day drawing almost to the end of first week with a couple more classes to explore.

Thankfully his lessons were somewhat more advanced than the others being accepted into Advanced Placement to nurture the willing minds in preparation for college to come, what he wanted to do there not even Itachi was sure of, what they wanted him to do was more than clear. Follow family tradition was what was drilled from a tender age only that it wasn't in his interest to carry that out so options were still open. Letters started to flood in from prospective campuses wanting him to join their illustrious institution given his bright mind and his financial background, the generous offerings that families gave was something they were all after. Only one would be chosen eventually. Still he couldn't fight the present with those loudening cheers of rambunctious teenagers that had attention spans of peanuts to start a ruckus.

Each one of them had a tale of what happened on the weekend and who they were with, parties, social outings, spoken gaming events that they were victorious in, the everyday talk that kids their age had causing throbbing sounds repeating in his head from the acoustic incident brought on by the group of girls squealing when one revealed that she had now lost her virginity. None of that caught his interest for a moment, only turning to look at the door with another loud sound approaching, hopefully followed by a teacher only that was once again missing but there was one other familiar face in the crowd. The one he had already crossed paths with, the blue eyes locking onto him in a glare as he took his seat quietly for once seemingly holding a grudge against him for their altercation. Amazingly he had enough brains left in there to be in such a high level class.

"What are you lookin' at?" the blonde growled back at him with a shove of his head in a threatening way toward him. Seems he was still very bitter.

A clearing of a throat brought the level down to silence, all eyes turning back towards the front of the class finishing off all conversations with the arrival of their teacher. Chatter started up once they saw her appearance expecting the old geezer Hatano to be teaching class, maybe he had croaked it during the break. Not that they minded the new one that looked like she was fresh out of university and probably optimistic in teaching them in some kind of relate to the students way but most of them weren't concerned with that especially the boy's who were gawking over her body, the girls whispering how pretty she was.

"Welcome to AP Human Geography. I'm your teacher Takako Yuri" Light fingers rubbed the side of his face at the fiery red head with breasts double the size of what you saw on most people out on the street, the way her shirt was just like the other girls being two sizes to small to cut the flow of oxygen off could have seen her as one previously but there was some thing for certain, Miss Takako was not a full blooded Japanese. "And this semester we will be studying Human Society and its Environment" All long as she had the brain to back up that filling shirt then that was all he cared about. "At the end of the class I will be giving you all your assignments to be completed by the end of semester where you will be giving your final presentations to the class but for now turn to page five and we will begin"

Escalating groans told her that they weren't happy about that, silenced quickly to get back to their work typing up notes and sneaking in IM during the class until the clock ticked closer to the end of the class and books and all laptops were to be closed while she handed out the paperwork to everyone. A few confused faces at what they were looking at, some a bit stunned getting the wrong impression from it but all were looking for explanations. The teacher explained that this year was something of importance in a life of a student, that final step moving into the adult world on their own leaving childish natures behind. What they were to do for the next six months were to casually observe their designated partner to see if they could notice changes in their patterns to accommodate this, also normal lifestyle between the groups taking notes of their actions.

"Isn't that called stalking?" Reactive chuckles came from the comment of the smart ass, of course someone had to be so ludicrous to come up with that one.

"Only if you use binoculars" Takako retaliated smugly certainly able to give it out if sarcasm came towards her. "Now your partners" One by one she rattled off the pairs getting some groans unhappy with their choice and others cheered from being placed with friends, the unsatisfied ones trying to barging their way out of it thinking they were going to have to actually spend time mingling with the groups getting involved in their lives. Shaking her head she once again explained it was surveillance and not interaction.

End of class sounded drawing bodies out of the seats to move towards the next, Deidara throwing his chair back into place utterly pissed off with who he was placed with more than definitely going to give the teacher a large chunk of his mind. "I am not partnering with him, un! Why the hell did I get stuck with that bastard" he cursed pointing solid fingers in Itachi's direction who was still packing up his gear. Anyone but him, he didn't want to delve into his life, in his own mind he wasn't even worthy to be in his.

Tapping the collection of books in her hand they fell back into place, sighing at the aggressive blonde that she had heard more than her fair share of stories about him. "First surname with the last surname. You are at the top Deidara and Itachi is the bottom"

That was the worst reason he had ever heard of, just because he was the first person on roll call and he was the last, she should have just drawn names out of a hat or something. "I don't care" he sulked turning away to jut his lip out having a hissy fit. Then again he didn't have to do it, he could have just made some lies up and said he was some very quiet person who always read a lot and never changed because he was a nerd and then submit that in. She wouldn't know the difference at all. Seeing the taller male leave, he wasn't going to let him walk out so quietly especially if he complained about it thrusting his shoulder into his rib cage, squaring his eyes off not backing down in his decision to change even if she wasn't going to allow it.

Itachi's focus reminded dead ahead at the blackboard, not faltering for a moment because he was being threatened into saying something, instead opening his mouth up to speak his mind about something else. "You afraid I might find out that you are only rebelling against the world because your mother doesn't care and spends more time focused on her career than her own son and that your father spends his days drinking away his sorrow and beating you up because of the bitter divorce he was dragged through"

Deep red shifted towards him in a harden stare that caused Deidara to be temporarily dumbfounded, a fleeting reaction quickly turned to balling his fists up tensing all muscles in his body wanting to take another swing at him for trying to analyse him like that. "Shut up! You know nothing, un!" he yelled in a retort, loosing up one of his fist enough to shovel the brunette back into the desk storming off out of the class and down to corridor. He was completely off… his father did not beat him.


	14. Watching Me Watching You

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU**  
Prompt:** 05. Gloves**  
Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 2, 174  
**Warnings:** Sexual References  
**Summary:** The more you watch someone you start to notice the smaller details but can this help you to change your mind about them.

* * *

**Watching Me Watching You**

Observation. To take note of the subject in their natural surroundings examining the way life is conducted in the normal manner without interfering or letting them know that they are watching over them. The job is to look and not touch the same that animals were studied. Was that all they were, captured animals living within cages lead to believe that the outside world was a real place. It felt like it with the way they were scrutinised on a day-to-day basis, always having overshadowing them making sure they conformed to the way society was telling them to be.

It has been a month into the assignment already and half of the students were already reporting in with activity spotted from their designated partners, most of them unaware of changes in them but some had reacted either to the news that they were actively being watched or because it was the expected progression of life. No one stays the same person from when they were kids always growing up developing more into interests and exploring new things, even now with their final year they were beginning to look towards the future arranging for colleges and jobs. Nevertheless, there was one thing that one of the students had to do and that was at least start the assignment given, not even a glance since they were told about it.

In his own mind, it was ridiculous to place them in such situations into prying into someone else's lives but that wasn't an acceptable excuse when his mother actually took the time from her busy schedule to call in and abuse him over the phone to why he was refusing to do the work. Reminded once again that it was the final year and that the Principal was kind enough to allow him to continue onto that instead to keeping him back like he should have been. Correction, her money kindly distributed to them to keep him attending. She wasn't concerned enough to actually come down and speak in person to him instead handing over a cheque that had enough zeros on it to keep him tacit.

They were making a fuss out of nothing since he had technically started on the assignment with a few notes scribbled in-between doodles over the writing pad stated 'Day 1. Still an asshole' and that was all. But it appears that it wasn't enough so he had to active participate in this to make sure they would stay off his back to be able to continue to do his own thing.

So here he was at the beginning of the day using his magic in questioning the lesser beings of the school on the whereabouts for the Uchiha for the day, what classes he had, where he sat for breaks and who he sat with only discovering that he was less popular than he thought. Not one friend yet made at the school not even speaking to anyone in a casual form even in passing, keeping to himself the entire time. Great this was going to be harder than he thought, how could anyone adjust when not under the influence of the peers around them.

Second period, Sport. Deidara sat high up in the bleachers with a cigarette hanging out of one hand and the other wrapped around a girl's shoulder holding it there as if she was nothing more than an arm rest while she playfully snuggling into his chest. This was not the girlfriend that he had been seen around with previously but girlfriend number two. Just one of many that wanted to get close to the bad boy only that he was jaded to heed to the whispers of what she wanted to do with him sexually. Deidara would have ditched her a good fifteen minutes ago if it wasn't for the fact that he was using her for an excuse to glance over at the activity of a few classes over.

"Good at sports...un" he mumbled to himself taking his first not that his subject was athletic by the way he was dominating the outdoor court in a game of basketball. Warm up laps too before the game he had blown them all away overlapping the slower runners leaving of them behind in his dust. Still he didn't think that was what he was supposed to be looking at.

Recess. Nowhere in sight. Drugs or other illegal activity would have been the instant answer only that the pole up his ass seemed to be ridden so high that he doubted that he even smoked a cigarette. "Incognito" Somehow he had managed to elude everyone around and was not seen the entire short break, showing up in the hallways after the bell had sounded, drawing them back into the class rooms. The next two classes were easily to spot him in being they shared them together and still there he was sitting away from them all with the desk angled towards the wall putting up a barrier to everyone around him as he didn't want to interact with anyone. By the time it had hit lunchtime he almost started to feel pity for him, no one should be _that_ cut off from society.

Standing up high above the ground on top of the social studies building, Deidara leaned over the railing with his arms hooked looking at the lonesome onyx haired male sitting by himself perched under a tree quietly reading a book. Like a ghost he continued to observe without a peep not that he could have heard from the distance but from the bird's eye view it was fascinating to see him within the surroundings he was accustomed to, alone as usual but taking great pleasure in his novel of choice. There was a vague thought lingering in his mind that the sight was all too familiar to him, something he couldn't pin point exactly like déjà vu. It could have been a movie like this; he thought nothing else of it.

"Hey baby, what'cha doing" asked a extremely feminine voice from behind, giggling happily as the thin pair of arms curved around his waist leaning over his back. Girlfriend number one was on the prowl.

Deidara huffed at the use of the pet name. He was not a child; he did not need to be referred to like a dog but no matter how many times he said so she would always do it as if her brain was too small to comprehend this. "Assignment" he retorted rolling his eyes. As if she would know what one of those were anyway, the only thing she knew was how to sit there and look pretty and what was on sale at The Gap.

"Mmmm bor-ing! How about I show you something that is a lot more stimulating" she purred nibbling on the blonde's earlobe to make sure she got the point across.

Moreover, this was exactly the reason that he kept her around. Her skilful tongue licking over the curve of his neck seizing his cheeks turning his face to his direction, without a word plunging her tongue straight into his mouth, roughly fought back by the blonde to shove it into her own kissing her heatedly. Together they tussled hands moving over each other's body, a reversal of position saw her bent backwards over the railing clinging onto Deidara's neck making sure she wasn't going to fall to her bloody death. She was hot, willing and have the ability to make a guy's toes curl with how talented she was in the art of making out except she couldn't hold his interest for long enough. Cracking his eyes open he looked out towards the tree gasping against her sweet lips at the crimson eyes staring straight back at him, fixated on each other while he was caught in the act of lustful expression.

A sudden shiver ran up his spine from him watching on, not a chill of disgust that he was gawking at that two of them like a pervert but something he never thought could be experienced from another guy looking on, something... bizarre. Those deep orbs, unable to break or look away so much that the kissing became that one sided and he wasn't the active participant, they ensnared him.

The spell was broken by a hard shove knocking him backwards a few steps, the pouting puff of the cheeks of his girlfriend stating that she was no longer in the mood either since he obviously wanted to focus on other pointless things. "I'll meet up with you after school and you _better_ be in the mood" she snorted, storming down the stairs.

"Hmph whatever bitch" Deidara scoffed under his breath, turning away from her returning to the guardrail instead. Whatever had happened back there had put the wind up him especially since it came to something revolving Itachi, that very teenager that he hated and swore he would never give the time of day no matter what the situation, that same guy that just caused his whole system to shut down from the stare he gave and... Huh, he was gone.

Leaning further over the rails his head swept the area to see where the Uchiha had taken off to, nowhere in sight maybe returning to class or away from the horny teenagers feeling depressed that it wasn't him getting the action. Pfft no way, he would have been dead from the waist down with the lack of attention he gave to others, he bet that Itachi had never got himself a piece of ass in his entire time living in this existence.

"Does it excite you? ...Watching over someone else"

That monotonous voice was all too familiar pinpointing where he had exactly ran off to now, turning to see the tall raven haired teen standing behind him with his arms crossed neither happy nor unhappy to be seeing him. Stoic as usual given the question he had just asked normally would have been complemented with a haughty leer if it were himself that had stated it.

"It's for the assignment asshole. Why would I want to want to look at you while I'm making out with a hot girl, un" Deidara spat turning with folded arms matching Itachi's look except his face was clearly showing he was unimpressed with the interruption even though it had clearly ended prior.

What was it that got his blood boiling whenever he was in the vicinity, ready to throw the gloves down so to speak to battle it out between each other? Twice he had one up on him and he was yet to succeed to throw him off his game, always being mocked feeling like nothing when he was around. Yet after watching him sitting there all alone, it struck a chord in his heart to see him melancholy all by himself with only a novel to keep him company. He wondered if he ever knew what it was like to have a true companion that didn't come in the form of text.

"How did you know about my parents?" he asked looking his previous anger dropping to a state of calmness not wanting to get into something rowdy.

The caressing wind blew through the rooftop as the two did nothing more than gaze at each other, Deidara waiting to hear the answer for his statement a month earlier that had silently plagued his mind on how he could know what his life was like. Not even the people who he would have considered acquaintances knew a thing about his family letting them come to their own opinions about how he lived instead of revealing the truth to them. He did not want pity from them.

Itachi shrugged one the breeze died down not even bothering to turn his head when the sound of the bell calling them back in from lunch sounded, still standing there without vacillate. "It's the typical rebel syndrome. Mother never loved you, Daddy left you for better things and you feel bias by the world. You are just an existing cliché"

It was all a guess. Deidara was speechless at his powers of deduction picking that up within a couple of days. That brain inside was certainly something that was deadly and manipulative, a force to be reckoned with that intrigued him more. He was nothing like those brain dead idiots that he hung with that only did what they were told because he had said something, he was free thinking and unafraid to speak it out loud. Every time the Uchiha opened his mouth, he was either repelled or attracted to him, dare to say he wanted to know more about him regardless of this assignment.

"So you want to hang out after school?" the blonde asked not sounding too enthusiastic about it but it was the first step towards finding more about this inexplicable new kid that no one cared for.

Besides what was that saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.


	15. Snatch ‘n’ Run

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU**  
Prompt:** 01. Evidence  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 2, 278**  
Warnings:** Language, sexual references  
**Summary:** Minds changes are not always with the best intentions.

* * *

**Snatch 'n' Run**

Something was not right with this situation. The last two classes were spent contemplating the blonde's words for him to join him in a social outing, a play date, hanging out as casual friends. One's mind does not sway so easily from petty revenge to wanting to start a long lasting friendship just like that within the span of a few minutes of observing over someone. Someone so driven by vengeance will hold a grudge for as long as possible until atonement has been sort after sitting back revelling in the aftermath laughing like a fool at finally getting the upper hand. Not after all of that so far would be even dare to accept his offer without the drive to become involved in his world so it was left open ended as the final bell to return to class sounded, leaving Itachi with his thoughts to pass the time through class.

"What are your thoughts on this Itachi-kun?"

But why now? That was the question. What was brewing inside that calculating mind of the blonde rebel that certainly had not to be the purest intentions, he had more than enough time to roll out the welcoming wagon but now? No something was not right.

"Itachi-kun!?"

"Each will settle their own opinion on the subject without one being the correct statement towards it, history showed that in their way they utilised their control that words in their favour until the Coup d'état decided to overthrow that. It could have gone anyway" Itachi's eyes shifted over to the teacher in a hardened stare. He could hear him no matter how hard he had been concentrating.

"Very thought out analysis, now..."

It might have been for that but for the rest of it, it was puzzling him. What had Deidara planned for him? What was scheming? This whole idea was ridiculous so there was only one way to tackle it that is not to go through with this ludicrous offer. That was what he was going to do, better to be safe than sorry.

The last two classes were without him so escaping the school grounds was going to be without hassles with the flood of students that ran out to get free of the educational hell. His brother was not going home with him today already making himself a few friends and was to spend the weekend over there with one of them so he came to school with his bags packed already. It was good to see that he was not making his mistakes and shutting himself out, always the happy child now turned into cheerful teenager with just that touch of Uchiha arrogance that sometimes got him into trouble. Nevertheless, he could handle himself in most cases at least.

Now all he had to worry about was himself, lugging his heavy book filled bag through the corridors out into the sun filled outside world, crossing the main courtyard to make it to the street level where he could be on his happy way home without a thought of the blonde and his plans to hang out. Stretching his arms Itachi worked out the knots from being cooped up in those uncomfortable chairs for the last two hours, setting off down the sidewalk when an eerily cheerful voice called out for him.

"Taaaaachi where do you think you're going? You weren't leaving without me were you, un"

That voice... there was no way he could misplace that, turning on his heel to see the blonde teen standing there behind him leant up against the tree with his arms crossed and the world's most biggest fake pout that was clearly seen through. Feigned sympathy was not going to work. "I got tired of waiting for you" Itachi huffed crossing his arms as Deidara slinked closer to him. Even the way he walked was different, not something that he would have done instead more of some kind of way of seduction to it with the sway of his hips.

"Deidara-kun where are you going?" one of the girls jumped waving her hand around wildly in the air to grab his attention. She had already made plans so today he was supposed to be hers, not some stupid lame boys who didn't look him he wanted to be around him.

A finger flipped up in the air raised up high while the other hooked around Itachi's arm dragging him away from the scene of the school. "Take this as me dumping you bitch" he grinned, looking over his shoulder at the irritated girl. He never liked her anyway.

She wasn't heartbroken of being broken up with but fuming that he just openly did it in front of so many students who were fixated on the conflict between them. The waves of "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" cycled through some covering their mouths at it waiting for some kind of fight to break out, others chanting for it to start already but they all wanted to see some action go down. "Fuck you! You're dick is so small that it couldn't do anything for me anyway" she screamed out for them all to hear having the hissy fit of a lifetime at him.

That was a challenge that he couldn't pass up, letting go of Itachi's arms unbuckling his belt, unbuttoning and zipping, pulling his pants and boxers down flashing himself to the crowd proving the point before she wanted to spread a rumour. "Sorry I can't satisfy the Grand Canyon, un" he smirked at the sea of gaping mouths from the combination of the comment and the beast out on display. He wasn't that small at all, not big but he was adequate.

"Deidara! Put your wiener back in your pants" the headmaster called out from his room on the second story, half hanging out the window to see what the commotion was. Trust it to be Deidara and some kind of trouble.

Grumbling he zipped himself up with a readjust, grabbing Itachi once again by the arm leaving the stunned crowd behind. Together they walked down the street until Deidara let go of Itachi's arm with a huff almost in disgust that he had clung to the bicep of another man but it got him away so that was all that mattered.

Shrinking back Itachi too didn't like the flashers sudden up close and personal approach, taking a step to the side to keep the distance between them. Now it was the matter of what was going to happen with them for the day and for all the reasons of why he was out with him. A date down at the milkshake bar was something that he wasn't looking for with the blonde nor spending more time than possible with him not because of he really had any kind of hate towards him. It was all on his side for that. The company of males he had discovered that he liked more than females, a truth admitted to himself about two years ago when he found himself looking over the male structure with a lot more interest. The chiselled shape enticing more than the slender curves of any woman but Deidara was different, a hybrid of the two but yet appealing to the eye. Still that did not want to make him be his friend.

"What is this all about?" he asked with a gruff expression, heading with him towards the shopping district.

Deidara feigned ignorance and stated what they were doing once again, they were hanging out to get to know each other better but still he didn't believe the facade. Still he went along with it to keep the peace, moving between shops looking around because it was what he wanted to do just tagging along for the hell of it. Plus his mother would revel in the fact he was out and about with a real person, not with a book in his hand.

"Why did you do that back there?" he asked looking over his shoulder at the CDs he was looking at.

Glancing back over his shoulder, he received a shrug. "Why not? She was doing every other guy in the school so now she has one less" he muttered, flicking back through the racks to find anything he liked.

Taking that as is that's all Itachi wanted to know, things going back to the way they usually were between them with the cold shoulder.

A few moves between different isles found something that caught Deidara's eye, sparkling wildly with a spreading grin across his face glancing over at Itachi who looked more than preoccupied with the DVD section and the thriller movies that seemed to have taken his fancy. Walking up towards him with strutting strides, the blonde turned the away at the wrong time just as Itachi moved he slammed straight into him, rubbing his head as he scoffed at him. "Watch it, un" he mumbled, purposely leaving off asshole part he so wanted to add on.

Shaking his head to remove the temporarily daze, the brunette glared down at the shorter teenager squared off in a glare for his clumsiness. "Same" he snorted turning away from him. He just wanted this to be over so whatever kick Deidara was getting off on would be over and he could just pretend this day never happened.

Vibrating caught his attention not from his own pocket but from the blondes with the rock tune ring tone going off from his mobile, flicking the slide of his silver compact mobile open saying hello to whoever was on the line. Obviously he didn't want him to be part of the conversation as he walked off, leaving Itachi to go back through the DVDs once again to pick himself a movie out, maybe... if there was anything good. After a few minutes the voice called out his name causing Itachi's head to shift up looking at Deidara half way over the other side of the shop.

"I gotta run, my mother wants me home but we should do it again" he yelled out waving his hand up in the air to tell him he was leaving.

Do what again exactly? Whore himself all over him? Ditch him? Sit in silence the entire time? "Yeah, whatever" he mumbled so quietly that he wouldn't have been able to hear him anyway. And with that he was gone and he was all alone with the few other shoppers inside the store going about their own business. That was the most uneventful and tedious trip of his life. But what was the point of it all? Something just didn't seem right.

Ten minutes of searching around saw nothing he wanted to get anyway so he wasn't going to hang around for any longer, heading out the door to call for a taxi or just walk home. Walking sounded better since it was good to keep the muscles active only that when he walked through the door the sound of sirens wailed in his ears, looking around for wherever it was coming from.

The security gates to his right and left flickered red lights circling around to draw attention to him, Itachi continued to look around without a clue on why they were going off, maybe a malfunction or a conflict with something he had on him like his cell but either way it sent security agents rushing for him, ceasing him by the arms.

"Step this way Sir" one of them said politely making it sound like he had a chance to say no. Of course he didn't they wanted to strip him down of his possession to make sure that he wasn't a shop lift.

"Whatever" he rolled his eyes in arrogance, sticking his arms up so he could be frisked by the officers. "You won't find anything" He was positive of that. He wasn't so low to go and steal something; he had money which he could purchase anything in the store that he wanted, nor did he get a thrill out of illegal activity.

"Really so what is this then?" One of them sneered back, waving some items up in front of his eyes treating him like he was a child that he pulled out of his regulation school jacket.

A pack of condoms, lubrication and a rubber dildo.

...What the fuck?!

"They aren't mine, why the hell would I want to steal that shit"

The guards didn't believe a word he said. "The evidence is pretty clear" they laughed at his choice of stealing. Sex toys huh? He was going to have himself a good night in.

Ceasing him by the wrist which Itachi's didn't like at all, yanking away from him he cursed at them that it was bullshit and he wasn't going anywhere with them but as soon as he tried to walk away he was tackled to the ground, arms reefed behind his back.

"Get the fuck off me!" he yelled struggling against the men as well as the extra that came into help given how strong he was, knocking them off to try and scramble to his feet. It was at that point it became perfectly clear as he was handcuffed and dragged up into the offices upstairs, awaiting for law enforcement to come down and formally arrest him. He was right not to trust him at all.

Snickering from across the street were the group known as Deidara and his friends, breaking out in hysterical laughter at the Uchiha being escorted into the Police car fifteen minutes later, getting the best seats in the house to watch the whole event go down.

"Payback is always great, un"


	16. Bringing You Down

**Series:** Naruto**  
Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 024. Taxi  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 2, 616  
**Warnings:** Language, Violence, Sexual References  
**Summary** What seemed like innocent fun to one can only lead to disaster for another.

* * *

**Bringing You Down**

Monday morning, a time that students didn't look forward to being the return to school for another fun filled week with assignments and pop quizzes. The appeal of the weekend grew greater to those who were into their final year knowing that approaching faster was the time when they could be free of all the blues of studying so they could stay up as long as they want, party until the sun came out and be free of all the rules that tied them down. Then college would be even greater with the occasional class between what has been known as the orgy fest of your life, experimenting with everything you can get your hands on, sex, drugs, multiple partners. How amazing it would be but for now it was lazy groans and wide yawns trudging through the courtyards towards the weekly start of doom.

There was one group however that were livelier than the rest, hanging back around the huge oak tree that littered over the entrance way, cigarettes loosely between fingers watching every person that came through intently making snide comments about each one of them especially the ones they had encountered at parties over the weekend that seemed to have gotten themselves into trouble or cause some kind of upcoming commotion once their partners found out. However none of them were their real objective, they were seeking out one person in particular to scorn, to openly rub salt into the wound for the weekend that they knew would not have been memorable in the nicest of way.

Time ticked down towards the morning bell without a sign of him which should have been sad only that they got a laugh out of the fact that he still might have been locked up, most likely parents not wanting to post bail for him or he had found himself a lovely partner with a hairy back that didn't want him to leave. The suggestion broke the group out into maniacal laughter, all except for one who wanted to see the results of his efforts, planned in such a short time playing out brilliantly without the other being aware. The opportunity didn't come as the bell shrilled loudly calling them into the building for home room, students groaning like mindless slaves towards the first class wanting the day to be over with already.

Taking their seats around the room, Deidara flopped down into his own propping his feet up on the chair in front of him making good use of the vacant desk, sliding down into the chair relaxing to shut off the nag of the roll calling. Hopefully he was being shipped to another school now that was stricter because the parents had realised they had raised a bad seed, that would eliminate all of his problems. Everything around there was just peachy until he showed up.

Unfortunately this was not his day as the tall male walked through the doors of the room apologising for his lateness taking his designated seat quietly, not focusing eye contact on anyone as he moved between the desks. Looked like his cell mate must have been easy on him without the limp in his walk, damn shame about that, it would have been good to screw some manners into him so he would know his role within the system. Around there, they were the law, the ones that did the shake downs for money, the ones who pushed the lesser beings around telling them what they could and couldn't do and the Uchiha was cracking the foundations since that day. Somehow the respect that the other's had towards him just didn't seem to be there only now building it back up from the stunt he had pulled a few days prior. The Uchiha's arrest had tipped the scale of coolness leading him back into that top dog position; his peers were once again in awe at his magnitude.

Whispers instantly started between the girls spreading like wildfire through the room as they all glanced over at him, word of his indiscretions travelled fast through the school given the comical nature of what was found in his possession. The quiet pervert who wanted to have a good time alone with the fat dildo buried up his ass, masturbating to something nerdy like science magazines moaning out the Periodic table like a lover until he exploded with a chemical reaction. "I heard from his younger brother that he was once recruited for a Swedish fetish film but turned it down since it wasn't hard core enough" "Nuhuh I heard that his mother was selling him on the street to pay for the bills. How else can they afford to come here?" So many theories so far off that it was preposterous but still it didn't stop the rumours from spreading rapidly.

The blonde could only lean further back into his chair satisfied with his handy work, his credibility was completely shot to the point where no one wanted to be anywhere near him, now branded sex fiend of the kinky kind. Chinese whispers at its finest from the original story modifying to some unbelieving tale that people always craved for, gossip kept their lives fresh and now Itachi was the talk of the school.

Home room came to an end with the sound of the next bell causing waves of people to stand, the teacher calling out names to grab their attention with the note just passed to them from another student. "Itachi, Deidara. The Headmaster would like to see you both"

Whaaaaaaat! It was only the start of the day and he hadn't done anything illicit... yet. Puffing his cheeks out at the abrupt call out, Deidara crossed his arms and stomped out of the room like a child knowing the way there with his eyes closed without regard for the one lagging behind him since he could just follow the signs there. Bet you he narked on him and now they were going to question him and punish him more than what he already had been but that was fine, if memory served him correctly they were looking for 'volunteers' to clean the cafeteria fridge out. That would be a perfect punishment since it was coming up to cheesecake day.

The door swung open with a loud bang almost causing the concentrating man to have a heart attack, jumping startled darting around bewildered looking as if someone had just charged in to assassinate him. "Gooooood morning. What have I done today, un" Deidara asked cunningly, sliding up onto the corner of the desk openly defying school rules of using tables for a seat. They were so much more comfortable than the plastic kick back ready to fall apart ones they had and he loved to get under his skin anyway, today he was feeling particularly playful about it. Better yet, he wanted to know why the Uchiha was following his rear.

"Get off my desk" the Principal sighed shooing him away onto the chair, looking up at the doorway when there was a knock seeing the second party that had arrived. "Please have a seat"

Deidara's eyes watched Itachi like a hawk as he filtered into the room taking his place beside him, still not the faintest glance at his direction fixated at what was ahead than curiously looking at him, not even a hateful glare that he seemed experienced in shown, thick hair hanging over the curves of his face hugging his cheeks concealing him from his line of sight. He was quieter than usual today. An uneasy silence that suspiciously looked like he wanted to spill all to get himself out of trouble and maintain his untarnished reputation with the head of the school expect he would be the first to get a word out mischievously sneering "How's your ass?" but quickly silenced by the whack of the notepad across his head from the other side of the desk. Abuse that was! He should be stopped.

"Shut up Deidara" barked the authority figure in the room, placing the notepad back down on the table. This was one student that he never thought he would see inside his office except for maybe some advice of the educational type, help with picking out a college or even permission for undergoing extra study load but never for this. He had come to them with a flawless record and nothing but praises from previous teachers but that delinquent must have got to him somehow, he was the last person to be seen with him as he left the grounds. This was why they were there together. "Now, where did you two go after school finished? I know that Deidara must have played a part in this so can you explain what he did to clarify this confusion"

He was stunned and appalled. To think that he was assuming that _he_ was the reason behind this was unjust, granted he was really but where was the benefit of the doubt? Couldn't he just assume that Itachi was a criminal that was just waiting for the right time to break free of the holds of society only to be stupidly caught with his inexperience? "Wait just a second you can't be saying..." Deidara was cut off before he got to finished by one pissed off Headmaster and the raise of his hand silently telling him to zip it.

"He had nothing to do with it. It was acting on my own accord. I am ashamed of myself and will accept any punishment that comes my way"

Did he just say that he was acting on his own free will? Why? Why was he protecting him when he had a clean chance of redeeming his name especially since punishment was not what he was going to wanting? Crimes like that could only bring a bad ending unless he went easy on him as a first timer but Deidara didn't have the chance to find that out instead escorted out of the room and the door shut behind them, leaving the two to continue their talk in private. Ten minutes of walking through the halls dawdling back to class got him inquisitive, looking around making sure no one was watching scampering back towards the office to see if his punishment was dealt with yet, hoping he got the chance to mock him like he had been looking forward to all day. Almost a gleeful skip in his step screeching to a grinding halt behind the wall, peering around watching the back of the troubled youth being led away by the Headmaster raising an eyebrow at what was going on. Looked like he was taking out the back to have a bit of illegal teacher/student relations. Always knew he was a pervert.

Following discreetly he exited the building where Itachi was left on the roadside, ducking behind the wall as the headmaster walked past, taking that chance to run up after him bouncing to his side. "So convict, you got a taste for it now so you are skipping school for the day?" Silence. Hmph it was hard to get a reaction when he wasn't paying attention to you, only talking on a mobile phone to someone hanging up before he could figure who it was, walking the other way from him. So disrespectful to ignore him like that and Deidara was not going to stand for it, trailing behind him still leering at his greatest moment. "Never coming back again? I hope so. Well it was nice knowing you, un" Victory at last.

A sudden jerk ripped him across the yard almost tripping the blonde up from the hasty movements that smashed him into the side of the school building, opening his eyes up looking up at his face as the right time to see the raven bangs flying up off his face from the swift dash gapping as the sight before they fell back down into place, him pinned up against the wall.

"You have no idea what you have done"

His face...swollen, deep purple, the corner of his mouth split open, his crimson eyes not even visible from one side shut closed by the inflammation. No wonder he wasn't looking towards anyone, they had really fucked him up in prison. He looked like he went through ten rounds in the ring with a boxer and came out the loser. "I ummm..." He couldn't even respond thrown off his mindset, staring at the ghastly wound on his face.

"What damage is has done to my family" Yet Itachi spoke as calmly as possible which made it even more frightening, the deep growl of resentment was the only tell tale that he was pissed off.

Glancing up over his shoulder a bright yellow taxi pulled up at curb side catching his attention momentarily, shaking it off once his words sunk into his head. "Huh? Family?" Jesus he was taking this a little bit too far with the melodramatics, it was nothing. Not like something so small could cause that much of a commotion.

Once again no answer to him instead the weight of his chest was dropped, leaving him slumped against the wall as he got into the taxi he had called, the door shut driving off into the distance. Was that a teaser of some sorts for him to ponder upon until he could figure out the answer or was it just a dense cryptic message that had no real meaning to it?

If he was going to get any kind of truthful answer there was only going to be one person that could give it to him. Storming over to the other side of the school he lingered around the outside of the classroom waiting for the kids to come out, snatching one of the freshman straight out of line pulling him back kicking and screaming behind the lockers barely looking down upon him being they were almost the same height.

"Why is what Itachi did so harmful to your family?" Deidara asked glaring at the youngest Uchiha sibling, threatening him with a tightened fist to make sure that he got the answers from him. It was just a bit of stealing, an insignificant punishment and nothing else but everyone was making such a big fuss over nothing.

Swallowing hard stunned that he was just yanked out of nowhere; Sasuke cocked his head to the side. "Don't you watch television?" he asked mimicking the same mocking tone that his elder brother would have used, a junior version of him inside.

What kind of question was that? "No" he snorted letting him go, standing up straight rolling his eyes at the once again wasted effort. Couldn't they just give a straight simple answer instead of talking in fucking riddles? Was that too much to ask?

"It's all over that if you were really concerned" he ridiculed, dusting his clothes back off neatening himself back up to straight so he could enter the next class without suspicion. And since he was clearly dumbfounded then he might as well fill in the missing part of the puzzle. "My father is one of the head officials for the Police"

Almost an audible gasp in shock at the revealed problem it has caused, not explaining it himself but just stating their father's position was enough to snap his mind into the exact issue that it had caused. Not only had he damaged Itachi and humiliated him but he took his entire family down with him to the point that his dirty business was aired for everyone else to see. Oh... shit... He didn't know what to say.


	17. Cookies 4 Death

**Series:** Naruto  
**Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 011: Superstition  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 2, 924  
**Warnings:** Language  
**Summary:** Before going to apologize, one must always think on what the perfect gift will be. Sometimes they aren't always correct

**Bonus Writer Notes:** If you are confused, look up Japanese superstitions. We learnt about them in class and some of them are quite hilarious but then again aren't all superstitions?

* * *

**Cookies 4 Death**

Something just didn't seem right, something that he couldn't put his finger on. That kind of thing that ate at you persistently knowing that something was meant to be but yet you weren't too sure on what it was but you would wait for it to just appear out of nowhere to jog your memory causing you to go 'oh yeah that was it'. However no matter how much he thought about it, that could not be discovered. Did he forget to put the garbage out? Maybe as assignment that was due and he hadn't prepared to brace himself for the scolding of a lifetime being reminded how grades were everything in this important year? Hmm no it couldn't be anything so trivial like that since he wouldn't have cared so much it if was. Something was not right... but what was it?

Another stiff glance over to the window seat staring at the vacant chair in home room before turning back to his friends, talking up about the weekend he had and the mischief he had gotten up to but still wandering eyes carried back to the chair unconsciously that was not housing a body. Not any kind of random body but him. It had been over a week since he had returned to school; becoming nothing more than yesterday's news making way for the new scandal of superstars and their indiscretions with street trash inside a foggy windowed sports car. Life had returned to normal and no one cares about the now adult film star who once had a gang bang with 100 men or was it 150? He couldn't remember, however, Itachi still was missing from the classes he attended so diligently.

Maybe that was it? The loss of a rival and source of entertainment that he had so valiantly won over was not there to provide him the stimulation needed to keep on his toes, only left with the pseudo companions that he gave the title of friends but still he didn't believe that they truly were. Perhaps he was missing the Uchiha? Nah that was taking it one step too far for him to believe. Still he kept on watching over that chair just except him to be sitting there scribbling some notes down with his head down low against the table doing his little barrier bit to ignore everyone.

"You certainly fucked him over Deidara"

The blondes head snapped around looking back at the boys slapping across the back as the bell sounded, completely missing it coming back to reality realising that he was staring back at the chair once again. Giving them a light chuckled he turned away and rising to his feet slowly, turning to them with a huge grin splattered across his face. "Yeah I did, didn't I" he cheered to them, heading off for a quick smoke break before the next class.

One by one they walked ahead of him leaving the short blonde trailing behind, taking one last glimpse over his shoulder at the blank space. ...So why did he feel an immense amount of remorse from it?

* * *

Making a break from the final class just as the bell rang ending the day's activities, Deidara's picked up his bag and bolted towards the front of the school before the crowds passed out of the doors into the halls, ducking and weaving around the few stragglers that made it out early. He had to pick the prime position for the operation he was about to undertake, darting his head left and right finding the wall that he was once bailed up against for the perfect cover to get the clear angle of everyone coming out. Impatiently he waited, tapping his foot against the brickwork, lighting a cigarette while still keeping his eyes fixated on everyone walking past as his hands shielded the oncoming breeze. Everyone came by this place so there would be no way that he would miss him, it was ingenious. 

More of the different years floated by moving towards parent's cars, bus stops and down to the pathways splitting off to their prospective directions to head home with the one he was after not in sight but then suddenly he shone bright like beacon that couldn't be missed. Short... well compared to him he wasn't, pale, looked like he stuck his finger in an electric socket. That was the one he was after, the Uchiha's younger brother. Flicking the smouldering butt onto the grass, he stomped and swivelled with his foot to stamp it out; setting off after him keeping his distance so he wouldn't be caught for stalking, following the young kid towards his next destination.

"Deidara-san!" Or so he thought.

Revolving on his heel throwing his hands down in extreme exasperation, he faced the high pitch ecstatic squeal with a look that could have torn her throat out like a rapid pit-bull foaming at the mouth. She had picked the wrong time to be all cute and innocent girl on him, his objective was getting away from him.

"Didn't I dump you, un?" he mused folding his arms across his chest sternly making his point that when he broke up with someone then he didn't like to be stalked afterwards.

Advancing close enough to him to be in arms length, she swiped out at him with a slap across his shoulder playfully giving a quick giggle at his joking. "No you didn't" the red head girl replied, taking that one step closer to nuzzle against him.

"Oh" He was pretty sure that he did or was that the other one? Or maybe another. How many girls did he have hanging onto him? "Well you are now, un" Smirking widely, he stepped back with a shrug acting unaffected by the break up between the two but the girl however was deeply, not abusing like the last one, this one broken out into hysterical sobbing and begging for him not to leave. Pfft, totally pathetic. They wouldn't have lasted too long anyway so he was doing her a favour to end it now, the reason why he had so many partners trailing behind was because he got bored and he was certainly jaded with them all now.

A foot back in the right direction saw that his target had vanished without a trace, making Deidara curse loudly quickly storming over to the first person he could get his hands on, grabbing them by the collar. "Where did that kid go? Permanently looks like he suffered from electrocution" he demanded to know, forgetting the young teenager's name so his sketchy description was all he could offer.

"Oh you mean Sasuke-kun?" the teenage boy around the same age as the youngster replied, his voice shaking from the bully he who was asking bizarre questions at him. "He went that way"

Following the quaking finger over to where he was pointing, he was promptly let go with a couple of slaps on the head, running off to follow him. To get to him was to find out where Itachi was hiding.

Sasuke however didn't head straight home which lead him on a wild goose chase for a while, to the newsagency to get some school supplies, the department store picking himself up a new game to which Deidara took that opportunity to duck into the bakery for some freshly cooked Baker's dozen cookies before following him to the holy grail. The Uchiha household. Glancing down at his cell phone looking at the time, he had waited a good hour since the youngest had taken off inside to make it look like he wasn't trailing him around town, waiting for long enough as he walked up to the front door knocking loudly to grab someone's attention from the inside.

Silence for a moment followed by loud trudging steps, jiggling of the key inside unlocked the door to then be swung open in a hasty manner bringing azure eyes up to the petulant complexion staring back at him. He could completely see where his looks came from or at least the face, the same lines from constant frowning, the hard glare except his was littered with creases around the eyes from old age setting in and thankfully the colour of his eyes weren't at all creepy.

"I'm here to see Itachi, un" he stated so boldly only to be answered with the door slammed abruptly in his face. Attitude was the same it appeared.

But that was not going to deter the juvenile hooligan one bit, in fact it only made him want to see him more to know what demons lurk inside the house, what kind of monsters he would face but for now he scampered away awaiting for the next time to strike.

* * *

It felt like a lifetime he had been trapped up inside his room without the company of school to get him away, the minimal interaction with people was a blessing but the constant footsteps outside his door checking in on his location was not. He still hadn't moved unless it was to eat or use the bathroom, staying confined as it was expected of him for the punishment they could only think to subject him to. He had nowhere else to go, no friends, no hobbies, no life basically, always studying to receive the education he was drilled to get behaving like any well trained lab rat would. They were taking this too hard. 

As they should have been. To just radically change and steal something was not what they were expecting for him to do at all. When he finally was released and brought back home he had seen the damage that was caused, reporters overthrowing the house wanting answer for his crimes of opportunity, his mother wouldn't even look him in the eye deeply upset with him after all she had done to ensure everything was provided for. His father, he hadn't even had the chance to open his mouth to retort, explain or anything, the chastisement brutal straight there on the spot of the fist lashing out against his face in an instant reaction to what was brewing inside. Only that caused nothing but more issues between his parents now constantly fighting with each other for Fugaku's rash actions, Mikoto not agreeing with the course of punishment as rough as violence but he didn't blame him. How else would he have reacted to someone that you couldn't take anything away from?

Rustling in the treetops outside his window caught Itachi's attention from the homework that had been allocated to him during his time away, pushing and crawling up on top of the bed to peer out of the window to investigate what it could have been. The wind most likely but the wind didn't groan and grunt in effort. Tilting his head curiously to the side he pushed back the curtains somehow not at all shocked by the devious smile staring back at him, perched up sitting against his window sill as if nothing was out of place. Well maybe a little stunned but mostly perplexed on why the person who hated him more than anyone else would just randomly show up at his house.

"If you came to leer at your actions then you are wasting your time" Itachi told the looming blonde, shifting off the bed with a sigh on why he was being tortured like this. "Go home" All he ever wanted to do was to be left alone.

"Nope" Deidara replied defiantly jumping down onto the bed, bouncing along to come to a sit still kicking his legs up to a swing on the edge of the bed. "I'm here for... a peace offering, un"

This was a really low stoop for him to do especially just to waltz into his house after all the troubles he had caused and just say that there was going to be an armistice so everything was wrapped up into a neat happy bundle was ludicrous. "You are..." His voice trailed from the original line of statement to see the brown paper bag out towards him that was proving what he was saying was true. He was offering him some kind of paraphernalia to make it up to him but gifts from the sneaky teen were something that wasn't looking for. But yet he snatched it from his hands, clutching it tightly as his arms crossed over still unsatisfied at all with it.

"How come you aren't coming to school?" Deidara asked, lying back on his bed kicking his shoes off making himself comfortable in the enemy's territory, disregarding the frown forming across his face.

"Suspended for two weeks" Normally a felony like this would have been unnoticed by the faculty but due to the fact that he was wearing the private uniform that was identified to the school then it was their own actions that were taken against him to provide a statement to the other students that theft or any other crime would not be tolerated.

Carefully peeling open the rolled up edging of the brown paper bag, Itachi cautiously examined the contents to make sure there was not something harmful that might explode or cover him with some kind of miscellaneous shit like a person that was tarred and feathered. A quiet gasp as the contents was revealed proving this was something more sinister than a practical joke and to think that he could even condescend that low. "You want me dead" he huffed tossing the container back at him, disgusted that his present was even more vulgar than what he had placed in his pockets in the first place.

Okay... the Uchiha had lost his mind from being locked up in the tower by the evil step mother for too long and he was starting to see things. This wasn't Snow White; he didn't bring him poisoned treats so he could be the prettiest of them all because well he was already dashing enough. "They are just cookies you paranoid freak" Deidara spat pulling out the now cold, now only four cookies out of the thirteen that he had. He got hungry with the wait.

And Deidara just failed to see the relevance in this? "You don't bring four of anything to a person you visit, let alone to do this ridiculous attempt to sooth your conscience"

"What the hell are you talking about, un. You're fucked in the head"

"Four... death...use your lack of brain for once"

"What!? You believe that superstition!? You have more issues than I thought"

The thudding of footsteps drew in closer at a rapid pace causing two sets of eyes to jump up towards the door knowing that if the uninvited guest was caught then it would be trouble for both. Scrambling furiously to his feet, Deidara looked around for the first place he could find to hide... under the bed... okay second place to hide, diving into the cupboard slamming the door behind him just as the knob started to turn. As quiet as a mouse he waited with the dead silence of the room, the two outside not talking to each other which made him curious enough to peek through the slates of the door to watch the action go down.

Neither of them moved which almost brought him to swear noticeably at his shoes still thrown out on the bed, not thinking fast enough to grab them on the way through but fortunately they went unnoticed. Instead the vocal battle between them started up leaving Deidara with the full imprint of what had happened, even still after an entire week it looked like his father wouldn't let sleeping dogs lie and brought back up the past again abusing Itachi verbally for what _he_ has caused him to do. The repercussions of what he had caused now clear as day that brought that damn feeling of guilt back that he was trying to erase with this visit.

It has been a good fifteen minutes of constant screaming from one and dead silence from the other until the authority figure had left, creaking the door open slowly making sure that the coast was truly clear before stepping out into the room again. He looked like a statue that was set in stone with how rigid he was, staring straight at the closed door without even so much as a blink when he shifted into his line of sight, again nothing when his hand outstretch against his cheek stroking the fading marks of his father's wrath.

"I'm sorry your dad hit you" he whispered calmly, this time as truthful as possible apologizing for all the commotion he had caused.

Still he stood firm in an unblinking daze losing all hope for the Uchiha of responding to him. There was nothing left to be said so it was time to take his leave, collecting his shoes and the cookies of death, climbing up over the window sill taking his leave.

"...I accept"

Nodding back at him even though he still wasn't turning to his direction, it had been mutually decided to end the war, although it was not anything more than that, it was enough to stop the bickering for the time being. "See you in a week, un" And with that, Deidara left his room to head back to his own house wondering to himself on the darkened streets home if anything more would come of this or it would be the end of their saga.


	18. Lookin' On The Sunny Side Up

**Series:** Naruto  
**Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 03: Funeral  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 2, 594  
**Warnings:** Death  
**Summary:** No one likes to attend funerals but sometimes there is a positive side to death.

* * *

**Lookin' On The Sunny Side Up**

Scandal. People thrived on it to help them through their pathetic lives. Every week, hoards of women and teenage girls would swarm down to their local newsagents and supermarkets to pick out their favorite trashy magazine to see what start was dating who, who was being caught by the paparazzi coming out of nightclubs trashed. Who was rumored to be pregnant, dieting problems, rehab or in the case of one, who had been caught shoplifting. They all thrived for it but just like the sands of time, it dwindled away into yesterday's news and the new story took over.

That was what he was, yesterday's news. A stale story. His returning day back at the private school had a few whispers re-emerging but within the matter of minutes it was once again silenced to continue life as normal. Back in the same old home room listening to the teacher spew out dress codes at the group of hoodlum girls that were wearing tighter than regulation attire, boys falling asleep from staying up all night playing games. Even the brunette staring outside the window lost in his own daze and the blonde walking a very thin line in being sent to the principal's office for disrespecting the old battle axe. Things didn't change.

Or had they? A truce between the two of them had ended the feud that had been ongoing in the day the Uchiha arrived but yet nothing seemed different. They both ignored each other; small comments were whispered under breath by the group of friends swarming Deidara towards the other and neither one would establish eye contact. So really was there a difference?

The bell rang taking the class out to their different directions except for the two who headed the same way. AP Human Geography was the class up for them. Seats taken away from each other as the teacher arrived, placing her books down on the table as well as a box that would surely be used at a later date.

"Hello class. How is everyone going with their final projects?" she asked cheerfully at the dreary faced students who did not look happy to be there at all. She could have reminded them that it was their final year so they should just grit their teeth and bear through it but it was already a given with how antsy they were.

One by one she asked between the groups for an update, nothing specific since it would be given in their final presentations but just something to keep them on their toes to make sure it wasn't going to be a write up at the last moment. Thankfully there were only a couple of pairs that were left dumbfounded by the quick popped question but the rest were on track, even the two that didn't want to be with each other had found something to talk about each other.

"He is far too trusting for his own good, un" Deidara mused, looking playfully over at Itachi, giving him a little poke of his tongue.

The ooooohs of the class sounded loud, every head turning towards the Uchiha waiting for a retaliation that would have both of them sent off awaiting punishment. "He is not happy," was all that the reply he got from Itachi that had them all confused, including Deidara.

Before it could get out of control with questioning, Takako cleared her throat and started writing up the lesson on the board. Today's topic was the adaption to newborn life, how parents adjusted well and some did not with post natal depression. They were to analyze the impact on factors such as environment, peer support, wealth and social class. In a discreet way, it seemed more like a way to prepare the more promiscuous ones into a life of teenage pregnancy but they would not have put it passed the schooling system to throw that one in. Next thing they would know, they would be given plastic babies that cried constantly that needed to be tended to no matter what time of night it was.

"Listen up, I have a project for you in your pairs," Takako announced.

Twenty students rolled their eyes simultaneously at the extra homework they were about to be given. Another project? Didn't they have enough already with the stalking mission? Apparently they did not as the box that had been forgotten about was opened; a hand dipped inside pulling out a beige oval object that was held up for all to see. Twenty jaws almost dropped to the ground at the egg that she was holding in disbelief. Oh god no, please anything but _that._

"This is your baby. Call it whatever you want," she grinned from ear to ear at the pleading looks, flicking her fiery red locks over her shoulder as she moved to the desks. "You are to care for it, attend to its needs and observe how it hinders your lifestyle. Schedules are too be taken into consideration so you can plan between each other as the good parents you are to take turns of looking after it. If they come back chipped, broken, replaced... you fail."

The uproar started through the class at the conditions that they were subjected to. This wasn't parenting classes; they weren't making baby clothes to prepare themselves for sixteen years of no lifestyle. But Itachi wasn't too worried about it at all; instead he stared out the window while the rest continued their protests. It was just carrying around an egg; it wasn't the end of the world or anything.

The teacher finally made her way over to him and placed the small little thing in his palm, the last person in the group to receive it as she went back up to the front. "See you next week with them," she almost laughed but she remained professional about it as the bell sounded.

"Looks like you are the mommy then, un," one cheery blonde mused, leaning over the desk with his hands balancing on the edge. Plus the thing wasn't in his hands so he didn't have to take responsibility for it as well and just pass the assignment off. Itachi was a nerd; there would be no way he would allow a drop in grades over an egg and him not participating.

Slowly the raven's eyes peered up from his gaze on the adopted child and to the self proclaimed daddy, giving him a shrug instead. "What are we going to call it?" he asked before looking back down at it.

"Have you lost your mind? It's an egg," Deidara pointed out. "Call it breakfast."

Nodding at him, he stood to his feet with Breakfast cradled in his hands. "I will take care of it today, you can have it tomorrow."

Watching Itachi leave for his next class, the blonde turned his nose up with a huff of "yeah right," heading his own direction to class. There was going to be no way that he was going to waste his precious time in partaking in something so ridiculous in caring for a newborn omelette.

The days passed without sight of the blonde or an offer to take up his side of the deal, even when they passed in the hallway there was only a scoff and a promise to get it after the next break but of course that time never came. Then came the last day of the school week and Deidara was still skipping out on his 'fatherly' duties, leaving Itachi all week to take care of it. He could confirm at least that Breakfast was in good hands.

Sitting under his usual tree reading his book quietly, he glanced over at the egg at his side. The Uchiha had accommodated it well including a small box filled with fluffy kitten paw printed tissues to keep is safe. A lick of his fingers and a turn of the page, continuing to read even as the light dulled with the shadow lingering overhead.

"You're taking this egg business seriously aren't you?"

Not even a look in his direction as Deidara knelt down to investigate. He was probably there to say that he will look after it on Monday when the project was due. "It's for the grade," he reminded him with a right mind to tell the teacher that he did nothing towards helping.

He expected him just to leave and go on his own way but instead Deidara sat down next to him and leaned over closer. "Whatcha reading?" he asked, almost sticking his head into the book looking for the title.

"Ginga Eiyū Densetsu by Yoshiki Tanaka," Itachi replied with a shift of the book over so he could get a better look.

Expecting nothing more than a huff and a snort at how ridiculous it was to be reading an outdated science fiction novel but instead he felt a head resting on his shoulder. He was tempted to ask him what he was doing but instead he moved the book between the both of them and started explaining the story to him. When he was away from the influence of his friends, Deidara was an okay person to get along with or maybe it was because of the truce. A loud call out for the blonde telling him that they were going to have a smoke and that he should come, broke that fleeting moment they had apart with a promise that he could be back to collect the egg for real at the end of the day.

With a quiet nod, he watched him leave, leaning back up against the tree with a breathless sigh. Whatever it was, for that brief moment he did enjoy his company.

* * *

Just as promised, Deidara did come and collect the egg for the weekend leaving him free to do whatever he wanted. Not that there was much anyway except for a trip to the cinemas to watch a movie and then back to the comfort of his home, locked away in his room. That was until he heard his phone ringing.

Studying the number that flashed up on screen, he searched his memory to see if he recognized it. Nope, no one and on top of that not many people had it. If it was a telemarketer wanting to convert him to another plan then he would be very unhappy.

Reluctantly he answered the phone with a quiet hello, waiting for a foreigner to start talking but instead he had to quickly rip the phone away from his ear before it started bleeding.

"Itaaaaaaaaaaaaaachi! We have problems, un."

His voice sounded panicked and breathless, the image of the blonde running around flailing his arms in the air came to mind but instead there was one thing that was pressing him first. "How did you get my number?"

"That's not important, just get here now! Here is my address."

As soon as the last syllable was uttered, the phone was hung up before the raven could question what was going on and why it involved him. Still there was something so with instructions in hand, he borrowed his mother's car and headed over as a cruising speed. It didn't sound like that much of an emergency.

Arriving at what was hopefully his house, his knuckles knocked at the door a couple of times before he stood back and waited with his arms crossed. Seriously, this had to be something big to call him out or else he was going to scold him for the interruption of his schedule. The door swung open with an out of breath blonde panting deeply, the look of terror splattered across his face that was almost as pale as a ghost. Without even a greeting, his arm was wretched into the house and lead through the maze of furniture to the kitchen to where they stopped with a furious point at the floor.

"What are we going to do, un?" Deidara asked, still pointing radically at the floor.

Glancing down he wondered if there was a point to why the floor was so fascinating but going along with it, he looked down. A sharp inhale and a shake of his head was the only answer he gave to what was before him, teasing the bangs on his face almost tempted to slap himself in the forehead. "How did this happen?" he asked, kneeling down to inspect the evidence.

Deidara quickly knocked the mop behind the side of the refrigerator so the murder weapon was out of his line of sight. He had been mopping the floor and maybe he was dancing with it at the same time but instead he swung around too fast and then… bam. "It fell," he meekly replied.

Cracked eggshell, splattered yolk and pools of white. Breakfast has been prematurely taken from their lives. Collecting some paper towel, Itachi began to clean the mess soaking up all the leftovers as well as the shell, taking it over to the sink with the absorbent tissue hanging high, ready to go into the garbage disposal.

"Maybe we should give it some parting words." Deidara suggested, standing next to Itachi with his eyes fixated on the hungry hole below that was about to eat their project.

An inward glance towards the blonde, unbelieving that he wanted him to do a eulogy on behalf of the fallen food. For someone who didn't want anything to do with it in the first place, he was certainly taking its death seriously. A sigh and a roll of his eyes, Itachi accepted it and began his words to help it through to the afterlife.

"Breakfast. We will not forget you. I will remember you on Monday when that failing mark is handed out."

A hard slap across his arm from Deidara for saying that but it was true at least. This little guy was not going to make it to class. "…But your family will miss you."

The grinding whir of the gears and blades clanking around was the death march for him, dropped into the endless void and torn apart to visit many of his friends in the sewers. Both of them were silent until the pulverizing stopped. Breakfast was gone.

* * *

It was a solemn trudge into class. The life they were meant to protect was gone. Loudly, the teacher called for them to present their eggs for final assessment, one by one each student filed up some of them empty handed. Looked like they weren't the only ones that had accidents along the way. Some had eaten them, some had left them behind or misplaced them but at least they weren't alone in the egg drama. The ones that were lacking fretted for their marks, Itachi and Deidara one of them as she stepped out to her teaching position with a grim look.

"You have each learnt a lesson in life with this… and it was never to be marked. I just didn't want you to dump them all in the bins after class finished," he laughed heartily, very impressed with herself. "In adversity you will band together with your partners to overcome and accept. That was the true lesson."

A loud uproar started between the other students that had lost their egg along the way but there were two who did not worry about joining in, instead looking over towards each other, shaking their head at the fact that they had been duped. But she was correct, they slowly rubbing off on each other.


	19. For The Love Of The Game

**Series:** Naruto  
**Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 017: Weapon  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 2, 813  
**Warnings:** Language  
**Summary:** Who said sport couldn't end up being something deadly.

* * *

**For The Love Of The Game**

Spring. The time where new life is born. Flowers starting to emerge from the winter frost, baby birds crying out for a feed from their caring mother, flowing greens and tender sunrays that warmed down to the very core. Spring was undoubtedly the best time of year for everyone no matter how much they object the heat or the cold. The opening day had the ability to bring joy to the hearts of all… well almost all.

"Sports season! Pick it now before you are forced into the netball team!"

Spring meant mandatory sports time and a pack full of whining teenagers that refused to be proactive with their health, jumping up and down screaming out all the sicknesses that the world offered. Period pain was still the most common and favorable with the girls but the boys were more inventive with their disease of choice. Even some tried to pass off that malaria was circling this year so their joints were stiff, familial paroxysmal polyserositis was the second popular yet no one knew exactly what it was. Apparently longer name had to mean that it was deadlier. Still, no amount of poorly written forgeries would get them out of this, pushed into lines forced to pick their sport of preference.

There were a variety of sports on offer, kendo, baseball, basketball, gymnastics and volleyball. Everything you could imagine an above average private school could offer even lacrosse but still teenagers would be just that, complaining all the way through until they reached the tablet, placing their claim to the spot. The most popular places were filled quickly while the boring ones were left for those who ran behind, leaving an angry and frustrated cry out every once in a while.

However, there was one who didn't have to worry about the fact that the sport was full, moving forward to put his name down despite the lack of slots left for him.

"There is no way that I am passing the chance to have you in the team. Captain of State Champion Team, the Tora's for two years running," the coach of the basketball team praised, slapping the teen heartily against the back.

A flinch away from the striking hands, stepping to the side to get away from the display of trainer butt kissing, the teenager shrugged and signed his name up, tossing the pen back down on the table without regards.

"It's just sport," he mused, leaving the coach behind with his ridiculous happy pose.

This happened every time he transferred to a new school. As soon as they found out about his sporting achievements they were practically throwing the place at him, begging to try out for one sport or another so they could push the team to be the best thing around. Then would come the speech that he was going to make the team, he would be the foundation, they all should be more like him. Animosity would come from team mates and then the nil friends he had in the first place would turn into a negative. And frankly, he didn't care at all.

After all was said and done, they were given their orders that they were to attend their chosen sport on Wednesday afternoons, last class. Wednesday had now become the hated day of the week.

Itachi had turned up on Wednesday just as he was expected to, changing out of the summer uniform and pulling on his basketball gear, jersey, skin pants, looser sports shorts, lacing up his shoes and headed out towards the courts. There were a few familiar faces that he knew from his classes but through the crowd, he found himself scanning for one that he knew better than them all. He had not seen Deidara the day of selections so he could only assume he skipped out and was forced into the Netball option but there was one thing for sure. He was not in Basketball.

The lesson went through as standard. Warm up drills, ball handling skills, shot practise. Weeding out who was the best and who just plan sucked for the school team. Naturally, the Uchiha was chosen straight off as captain but what else was new? Looks of hate started as soon as they were finished for the day, muttering petty comments and some childishly slamming into him with their shoulders giving fake apologies for running into him. He could only sigh and roll his eyes at them, picking up the ball that hadn't been put away with the rest, staying behind later to get himself back into shape.

Not that Itachi was not in shape, far from it. His body was toned in just the right places, not too much and not too little, not that he showed it, usually covered by loose clothes to avoid further attention from fan girls. Here he didn't have too many which was a change from the norm; his ways of being alone must have been picked up on.

Dribble, pause, jump, fadeaway shot. The ball swished through the net with the perfectly skilled shot, bouncing a few times rolling away to a stop, leaving him to go back and retrieve it. Another shot came up, moving to the three-point line for a jump shot, flawlessly poised with his hands up in the air following the shot through as it downed through the net again. Over and over again he ran from side to side, picking his position to take the shot with each of them hitting each time, only one missing that he quickly retrieved for self the alley oop as it bounced off the rim.

Although critics used to say that no Japanese players could hit a slam dunk, Itachi could but chose not to. He had done it once turning a formal game and another player slammed into him while he was attached to the ring and knocked him down. He came down awkwardly and tore the ligaments in his leg and had to undergo surgery that grounded him for a year. They said that he shouldn't be playing at all but he wasn't ready to give it up just yet. He wasn't going for career, just as long as it wasn't going to cause permanent damage to his everyday life.

But injures were felt after a good session, cramping, stabbing pain. He knelt down and hugged the injured limb, pulling back the leg brace to see how it was looking. Swollen with light bruising, painful to the light touch. It was time to finish. Itachi headed back to the showers and got changed, fresh for the walk home although there was a limp in his step, taking a mental note to ice it down when he got home. It wasn't bad enough to call up for a lift yet.

He crossed through the oval for a short cut admiring how peaceful the school was when there was no one around and how easily everything could he heard with the tranquil silence. The occasional car driving by, the birds chirping as they got ready to settle down for the night, the humming of generators with the sprinkler system starting to kick in. It could almost seem creepy if you didn't look at it as something more serene. There was one sound that he couldn't identify so easily, turning his head to see, cocking it to the side when he saw a different sight.

Someone on the oval playing? Practising? Someone that he had been seeking. Deidara. He looked busy so instead, Itachi continued on his way leaving the blonde be. Still he was curious to why he was at school so late. Deidara didn't seem to be the sporting type or at least enough to perfect skills. Still, the next day when he came out of the gym, he was there just the same as the day before. This time curiosity got to him, casually making his way over to the blonde, clearing his throat to make himself be known.

"What are you doing?"

Deidara almost jumped ten feet in the air even with the warning indicator, jumping back and tripping over his ball landing flat on his butt.

"Warning next time asshole!" he growled even though he did receive it. "I'm doing exactly what it looks like. I'm playing Soccer, un."

Soccer? What was that? Itachi's eyebrow rose slightly at the mentioning of this sport that he was talking about, soccer, nothing he had heard of before. Maybe this was what he was doing instead of Netball. "There is no one else here. How can you be playing it?" Practicing soccer he could have understood but he was playing it now? His mind was too logical for its own good, interpretation wasn't an option.

"I am playing by myself," he scoffed knowing very well that the brainiac's mind wouldn't take it to the vulgar extent. "We have no teams here."

"No teams?" That would explain lots, he hadn't even heard of this. "What do you do it in?"

Pulling himself up to his feet again, Deidara crossed his arms over with a put out pout but still explained the rules of the game to him. Ball, net, no hands to be used or else it's a foul. Some professionals were artistic with the skills they had, being able to balance the round surface on their feet, forehead, knees, rebounding it off their bodies, aerial flips into the hair and they booted it through the goals. He would have to track down those Nike commercials to show him how magnificent it looked when done by the likes of Totti, Ronaldo, Cantona, Nakata.

"It is becoming popular more so over here now, un. Just that the schools don't think it's worthwhile putting it in the curriculum."

Since the early 90s they were starting to show up, creating their own J-League but compared to baseball and the sorts, it was a minor league. But Deidara was enthralled with it, something that his home country was good at which is where he picked up the spark for it, sitting with his father on his lap watching the World Cup, cheering along with him.

"You want me to teach you it?" he suggested, popping the ball up on his knee, alternating it between the two.

Itachi hummed softly, looking up while he thought. The concept was strange being that he used his hands in Basketball but he would never turn down looking into a new skill, plus Deidara looked like he needed a partner. "Okay," he replied, placing his bags down on the ground.

Deidara was ecstatic when he agreed, bouncing back as well as his ball rebounding around his body to keep it up in the air. "Okay, now this will take ages to learn but I can do the basics, un." There was no way he expected Itachi just to pick it up and trick like that but before you could walk, you have to crawl… or drag your stomach along the grass and mess up your neat clothes.

For the upcoming days they trained together, all week long in each other's company after school. Deidara had wondered why he always came by so late so he investigated when he watched him leave for class, secretly in awe at his skills on the court but out on the field, he was the one that had the skills.

"This is a goal, un. You need to kick it into there." That couldn't have been explained simpler than that. What was he? Two years old? "I will be the goalie and I will try and stop you."Deidara finished up, running away to get into position.

No chance that Itachi would get by him nuhuh no way no chance. His handling of the ball was good but in no way good enough to maneuver around the guard to go straight into the goals. Deidara smirked and folded his arms around the back of his head giving a whistle of wait, rocking back and forth on his heels.

He was almost ready to go. Firstly, Itachi started to examine the trajectory that he would need, calculating now much force it would take to get a curve to get around him. Theoretically he should be able to do it without a problem but his lack of skills was a factor that he had to take into consideration. Ball handing with his feet was not as natural as his hands but regardless, he took a few steps back to get the momentum, charging towards the ball and then Deidara yelled out 'Ha! You suck!" before he kicked it which totally threw him off his game plan.

"Huh?" Itachi faltered, kicking the ball wildly without looking where it was going, tripping onto his back.

Within a couple of seconds there was a loud cry out, a thud against the ground followed by further mewling about pain. Itachi expected a complaint that he got it past or a laugh of how much he sucked but not that. Deidara was hunched up in the fetal position rolling around from side to side, coughing heartily between yelps of agony, his hands firmly placed between his legs. Ooops.

Itachi stood up and winced as he put pressure on his leg, hobbling closer to the injured boy to make sure that he hadn't snapped anything off, glancing down at him writhing trying to make the unbearable pain go away. He knew that pain, almost every boy did.

"Did I crush your testicles?" he asked deadpan and serious. Who would have thought that a ball could be a deadly weapon like that? His own fault though, he threw him off.

After a while he stopped moving which must have been a good sign, or so Itachi thought as he was knocked down onto his back once again, this time with a horrifyingly irate blonde pinning him down.

"Bastard, bastard, that hurt, un! What kind of shot was that? My dick could've been crushed." Or at least relocated up into his stomach.

He shook him around with force to make sure that the point got through to him, yelling every curse word ever invented. The Uchiha did nothing to stop him at all, just letting him get all the aggression out until he either calm down or got weak from shaking him around. Weakness was the first thing that hit, collapsing down on top of him resting against his chest breathing furious breathes waiting to hit the second phase. That was going to be the last time he taught him how to do anything… ever!

With all the confusion of the mis-kick, Deidara mustn't have noticed that he was lying on top of him but Itachi certainly did, unmoving waiting for him to get off in his own time. But then something happened that he could not predict. His hand started to move on its own up towards the golden mane of hair hanging over his back, twisting it slowly between his fingers playing with it. What was he doing? Why did he feel so natural? So… familiar? Why was he not pushing him off? His deep midnight eyes turned and looked up seeing the sparkling blue staring back at him, bodies, face, skin, almost fully in contact as his lips just lingered off his. What was he thinking?

"You owe me a burger for that," the blonde smirked, pushing himself up off him, extending his hand out for him to take.

Reaching up, he grabbed it sturdily thankful for the extra help to get back up, finding it hard to balance when he came to his feet. Spring, sport season, extra pressure… it would cope. "You could always find someone to rub it better for you but I will accept the burger arrangement," Itachi agreed, collecting their gear.

"Like you Itachi?"

He turned to be face to face with him once again, this time he gave a strange face back at the ridiculous grin that was as wide as the Chestershire Cat that came back at him. He was only playing with him, that smile totally gave it away. Itachi had no response for that unlike usual, stunned slightly enough to prevent him from answering, only giving a huff like he was not impressed at all of what he was implying.

Deidara threw his hands up in the air and his head back in laughter, slinging his arm around Itachi's back since his shoulders were too high to reach. "Kidding kidding. Why do you take things so seriously, un?"

"You were wanting me to do it weren't you?"

"What?! No way."

"At least you didn't want it kissed better."

"That's… what if I said yes?"

He laughed at Itachi and rested his head against his shoulder, walking together out of the school grounds.

"Try and ask me that again after the burger."


	20. Damn The Man

**Series:** Naruto  
**Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 018: Beach  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 2, 603  
**Warnings:** Language  
**Summary:** A fountain, a blonde and detention from hell. How could this all add up?

* * *

**Damn The Man**

"It's sooooooo hot, un. I feel like I am going to die. Put the air conditioning on or we will report this as child abuse!"

Deidara wasn't the only one that was feeling the effects of the sweltering heat. The rest of the classroom slumped against their desks, lethargic, dying, beads of sweat trickling down their faces with the busted cooling system. It was a private school damn it! Didn't they pay enough for fix these kinds of things without needing government funding?

It had been reported over the past couple of weeks over the news that it was the hottest Spring on record, the effects of global warming turning the seasons around into some kind of insane sauna. Teenagers and heat did not mix too at all, turning them into grumpy whiny children at least half of their age, flailing around complaining that they were going to die. But it was noticed by the faculty at least, trying to get a technician out there to fix the system that was taking its toll from the overuse of power in the city, draining the electricity needed to run it which in turn caused it to fail. Something in the meantime was going to have to be done to brighten the spirits back up before they had a revolt on their hands.

One of them was staging that on his own, bolting out the door stripping clothes on the way through ignoring the screaming teacher's command to get back to his desk. Every adolescent on the west side heard the commotion and the screams of "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah," on the way through, darting to the windows pressing their face against the glass to see what was going on. There was only one they all were aware of that would pull such a prank half way through the day and they were hoping to witness the greatness, the master at work, the one that would certainly be in detention in a good ten minutes.

Almost stark naked except for the pair of pool ball clad boxer shorts, Deidara streaked through the empty corridors, down the stairs, waving his hands in the air grabbing the most attention he could from the adjoining classrooms otherwise it would be a waste of his time. He needed an audience, all eyes fixated on him, attention whore at the best but yet he provided the goods.

The teachers had not yet caught up to him as he bounded for freedom through the front doors of the school, a hop, step and a jump, leaping straight forward to his objective... the fountain. Installed a couple of years ago as a donation by one of the ultra snobby parents, the six foot water fountain was put in display uselessly to make the school look richer perhaps, a show of money and the victim of soap suds for a good six months afterwards. But now it was something more than a symbolism of money. It was for rebellion, chaos, indecent exposure, the FU of all students!

Water splashed over the sides of the concrete holding bath as Deidara jumped into it, - it was shallow so he couldn't just dive right in-, laying down in the chilled liquid swimming circles around the ridiculous posing... something's. Maybe the Principal with a bikini top on? Whatever it was, the blonde splashed and played around cooling the body temperature down to a normal level once again, giggling the entire time knowing very well that the old bat was storming down there to pick his ass up to scrub the kitchen floors with a toothbrush.

Windows flung open one by one in a Mexican wave effect along with the screaming as loud as a sporting event, students hanging out the windows yelling their praises to the law defying blonde that stroked his ego even further. Deidara scaled the monument and sat on top of its head, holding his hands up in the air for all to see with his ring and index finger down covering the tucked away thumb in the universal sign of the rocker. The crowds roared even louder, banging the fists against the panes chanting his name louder. Teacher could not stop this anymore; it was worse than a soccer riot.

Azure eyes scanned the faces one by one, taking a quick divert down to see the swarms of teachers running out to capture him but he stayed firm, continuing to search for one that he could not miss. He bet that bastard was just sitting there with a book in his hand reading the time away instead of having some fun, learning about modern literature instead of how to be free and easy but as the flash of crimson passed his eyes, Deidara gave an almighty grin. Itachi was watching him as well. Bringing his hands down to his side, one of them raised back up with his index and middle finger extended, moving it to his lips kissing the tip softly. Anyone could have taken the credit for being on the receiving end except that it was only for him, blowing the imaginary kiss into the wind to find its target against Itachi's cheek.

And that was the last that he could do, grabbed on the leg by the scaling teachers trying to pull him off without causing serious injury to him. He would have got down if they asked him to but he was too busy looking up at the Uchiha, lost in deep thought that only revolved around their strange relationship that had blossomed over the past couple of months.

At the beginning they were enemies, hated each other to bits, Deidara going out of his way to cause problems to make his life a hell. Then it started to change and develop into something else, moving along to maybe a friendship, maybe understanding, maybe he was just sick and tired of the shit of his supposed friends and Itachi was his way out. Regardless of that permanent glare on his face, the complexion that looked like it mocked and ridiculed wordlessly, he felt that Itachi didn't judge him. That the Uchiha didn't look down upon him or expect him to live up to his expectations. He... felt... whoa shit!

Deidara lost his balance from the tugging at his leg, tumbling down into the water landing with a huge splash that drenched the teachers. Six very pissed off and judgmental teachers and one principal loomed upon, waiting to swoop down and pick his carcass clean. Ohhhh but where they wrong. He would not go quietly. He would take the stand for one last show.

Jumping clean out of the water almost losing his heavy water logged boxers, Deidara without shame turned to the faculty and dropped his pants flashing the white untanned backside at them.

"We demand that we get the air conditioner back on or else one kid every half an hour will act out against the system! Fuck the system! This is..."

"Sparta!"

Hundreds of teenagers started laughing at the overused catchphrase from that popular movie. The blonde just rolled his eyes and shook his head at the lack of originality.

"Thank you the smart ass up there, un."

But that was the last of Deidara's rampage, grabbed from behind and demanded that he pull his pants back up before they escorted him off to the awaiting office for some very serious punishment. All of the students returned to normal once the distraction was taken away, back to their books and their lessons except for Itachi who continued to stare out the window watching the white ass of Deidara's get dragged away.

"Idiot."

* * *

"I got probation for three weeks," Deidara whined, kicking the grass of the oval with his boot.

This totally sucked. If he did anything that was out of place for three weeks, one little bit of trouble at all then he would be suspended or worse, expelled depending on the severity of his crimes. What happened to that free speech stuff and all that jazz? Oh that was right; they were in Japan, the land of the anal and not in the free living United States of America. That was the big difference there. All day he could hear the voice of his mother echoing over and over again on how important this year was and just to behave for the duration so he could graduate and then move onto college like a good boy. Get a career like she had... pfft, sure, just an excuse not to come home. He was not going to live like that but he did need that degree.

"What do you expect? You dropped your pants in front of the entire school, disturbed the teachings and caused a revolt. Did you expect to get off lightly?"

Itachi was right on that but he was surprised that he had so much influence over the students. Just as he had audaciously yelled out right at the end, others too had taken suit every half an hour doing more of the most randomest things to get the attention needed. Protests in front of parliament and all that were useless. Acts loud enough to get their attention worked. They should all just swim in their fountains when they needed someone acted upon.

Deidara collapsed against the ground splayed out in a star shape against the freshly wet grass from the sprinklers, wiping his face with the hem of his shirt utterly exhausted. "It's too hot to play today, un," he complained, motioning for Itachi to sit down on the ground next to him.

Besides that, there was a little something that he had picked up on since they had been doing this together, something that Itachi seemed to be intent on hiding.

"How long are you going to hide that?" he asked curiously, pointing to the knee brace he was wearing.

It wasn't the fact that he wore it; many athletes did for extra support especially when they had prior injuries but prior injury or not, Itachi was masking a limp with his walk. It was not just when he was practising but it was showing through in his everyday walk now. He wanted to teach him about his only loved sport and share the experience with him but not at the cost of his body. That thing must have hurt. The dedication of the sports players were ridiculous at times especially now that the competitive season had started, Itachi wasn't available on Saturdays because of the game but the more he pushed it, even Deidara knew that it was going to snap or something.

When Itachi just ignored him, Deidara took things into his own hands, pulling the thermaskin brace down to have a look at exactly he had done. Ohhhh it looked nasty, more so because it was kind of bruised looking and puffy but the two diagonal scars down his knee told the story of an old injury playing up. "Whatcha do to it?"

"Came down the wrong way during a game. Tore some ligaments and went through a couple of months of surgery to fix it. It was about five years ago."

Now _that_ really had to suck beyond anything he had known, not that Deidara hadn't had his fair share himself but nothing past a broken bone and stitches. To date, he had not yet had one operation and he planned to keep it that way.

His fingers tenderly caressed over the scar tissue, shuffling closer to get a better look at it. How much of it did he keep bottled up inside of him? Not just from his leg but from everything. He was always so quiet, reserved, cagey and distant. Had anyone ever broken that barrier to get through to him at all or was he always like this? How could his parents stand to have a child like him that lacked all animation but the most important question was, what would have to be done to get him to open up?

"Since it's as hot as hell today, you want to come to my place instead and do something? My mother isn't home, un."

That wasn't meant as an invitation for anything that would have made the Uchiha uncomfortable but more to state that his mother was not someone he wanted to really come in contact with. He loved his mother very much but since his father had left, it seemed like there was no time for him at all. He was sure he would get a call tonight after hearing about water fountain incident so he wanted to get in some good quality nothing time before that so Itachi could join if he wanted to.

"Sure," Itachi agreed, pulling his brace back up and getting up.

"We will call a cab for this one and get your leg checked out or else I am going to have to make you watch movies where the person's life was ruined because they didn't listen to everyone else and caused serious injury."

The way Deidara said that was a joke, light chuckle and a smile except he was deadly serious behind it. He was worried about his well being for some reason. Of course Itachi just shrugged it off and gave the generic response that he would but he had made a plan to keep an eye out for him just in case he didn't.

* * *

"We have an announcement. Everybody stop what you are doing and listen."

Just as the voice of God... err the Principal said over the speaker box, the school body stopped everything they were doing and looked upward to the front of the classroom, staring at the stuck on speaker as if it was a real person there. Random announcements were always fun mostly because they were mass students getting called to the office after pranks and other practical jokes so they were prepared to have a giggle. Always a great way to end the day.

"The decision has been made in regards to the cooling issue that is currently plaguing us."

Now this was starting to get juicy. What was it? Day off school? Going home early? Day down at the pools for gym class? Damn it, why where they keeping them in suspense? Almost everyone in the school including the teachers was clinging to their desks with anticipation to what the proposed deal was.

"Technicians will be arriving to fix the problem on Friday so as a result, school will be cancelled for grades eight to ten."

The younger students of the school roared with excitement for the long weekend that was about to come up for them, hugging their friends already making plans for what they were going to do with their time off. The upperclassmen however started to riot, yelling swear words in retaliation to them making sure that they would do more than skinny dip in the fountain next time.

"Years eleven and twelve will be going on a day trip to the beach for assignment purposes."

...Assignment purposes!?

Who cares! The rest of the school now followed suit and cheered to the high heavens for their victory won, all thanks to a blonde streaker who decided that showing his wang to the world and frolicking like an idiot in a pond would actually pay off. In his victory, he turned to Itachi and smirked, breaking down into hysterical laughter as he even got a small glimmer of a smile from him as he shook his head and turned away. Damn the man! Booya! They had won.


	21. Have I Seen You Before?

**Series:** Naruto  
**Setting:** AU  
**Prompt:** 028. Writer's Choice Déjà vu  
**Rating:** PG  
**Warnings:** Blood  
**Summary:** Does déjà vu really exist or is it something that lures you into a false sense of security?

* * *

**Have I Seen You Before?**

The. Beach!!

How he longed for this day to come. It had only been a couple of days ago since he dropped his pants baring his bright white backside to the school body that sparked the rebellion that lead to this event. Hoards of Year 11 and 12 students all patting the blond on the back with gratitude for the stunt that saw them getting onto a bus for the drive towards ultimate fun, the road trip two hours in the driving to make it to the sunny shores. Not even the leave of 6AM could shake the spirits of the students. The weekend was tomorrow so it did not matter one little bit, rounding the week out down to perfection that would see them through until Monday where teachers barking for their assignment work would crush them once again.

It was not all of happiness and fun times. As a provision for this, they were set out tasks for their chosen years. The 12th Graders had to identify the effects that the pollution was having on the habitat of the beach and the projected outcome they saw for the future while giving their own explanation on how to combat it. The 11th Graders just had an excuse to run around and observe sea life, jotting down the diverse forms they would come across and write up a report on at least one they had identified.

There was a very high probability that there was going to be forty reports on seaweed.

One at a time, they all piled onto the two buses allocated for them, combining classes mostly so friends could sit together, chanting for the driver to hurry up and take leave so they could get the party started. Bodies shuffled up close, feet waddling like penguins to make it to their seats, huddled together - some even four to a three-person seat - but next to him was predictably vacant.

Before the bus has even closed the doors, Itachi was searching through his bag for entertainment, removing a paperback from the front pocket. A thin trail of saliva lined his thumb, moistening to move through the pages returning to his last point of reading from the night before. A few momentary looks over to see what the Uchiha was reading giving a shrug before turning back to their own, a book that said the title stated 'blood something' but his hand obscured the rest of it.

This was not his typical genre of choice, a bit of a mixture of crime, intrigue and the popular teenage theme of vampires had caught him by surprise, now on the fourth book, _Blood Pact_, by Tanya Huff. The vampire aspect of it was generic, bland; Henry feeding on other women to survive was atypical. However, the chemistry between satisfied enough to continue through with the series. A detective fighting against supernatural causes with her vampire sidekick would persuade the cravings. It was a two-hour ride after all; this would help to drown the screeches of the girls and the moronic roars of the boys that swung from the overhead rails like chimpanzees.

In addition, the loudest of them all finally entered his kingdom. Making his grand entrance at last, Deidara threw his arms up into the air calling for exciting cheers, which obviously was responded by the eager teens. Collectives of clapping, screaming, working through to a chant of his name, banging feet against the floor had teachers waving their hands about asking for silence as he took his seat. A superstar of the moment he was and the blond was soaking up every bit of attention that he could have received.

The source of it changed rapidly after Deidara's speech to them all, doors closing, wheels turning, starting their trip towards their destination of bliss. Everyone there had something to keep themselves occupied during the drive. Most people were talking, some were playing card games, socializing in general except for the quiet brunette that hide in the corner, resting his head against the window soaking up the morning rays of the newly risen sun. A book held more attention than anything else around him, even more so as the clues started to fall into place, drowning out the sounds into muffled voices.

Almost all voices. Once shone out brilliantly over the static drone, his voice heard clearly, as if he was standing next to him, homing in through the pack The rest of the teenagers were just blurs of nobodies that lead up to him. He joked and laughed with his peers, his so-called friends, telling them all about the joyride he supposedly got into the other night that seemed so fake. Everything about him was false while in that company. The arrogant tone, the feigned laughter, trying to be someone that he was not or perhaps he was mistaken and Deidara was only showing the fraudulent side towards him.

When they were out playing soccer or walking back from school together late in the eve, he was completely different. He was someone that he could identify with and speak openly about certain issues, listening to Deidara's own qualms in return. His mother was not around as much as she used to be when he was younger; his father lived away trying to get his life back together needing to stand on his own two feet before he could take in his son. Itachi's first assumption of him had been uncannily correct or maybe he already knew it.

Something about him that clung there in the back of his psyche, a constant sense of déjà vu. The smallest things relived from the past ranging from the gentlest touch to the pitch he used as if spoken before in a preceding life. Itachi did not believe in reincarnation and all that hype surrounding it, only in the life that you live now. No second chances. If you mess up then you would learn from your mistakes not at all to carry on in the next confrontation but Deidara... there had to be another explanation.

It took three quarters into the ride to get the students to settle down to an acceptable decibel, giving the teachers time to speak about what they were going to do. They had devised the schedule earlier on with three teachers guarding the beaches, two taking groups around for a look for their assignment work. Lunch call was at twelve where they could regroup for a head count, then leaving the last three hours for them to play around in the allocated beach areas until the trip back. Each group aware of this during the muted period, only that half way through talking the 15-kilometer marker on the side of the road abruptly escalated the racket once again.

Into the large car park pulled the two busload of students, stomping as heavy as a herd of elephants pushing people left and right to get off the vehicle the quickest. Itachi could only shake his head at how stupid they were, packing his book away steadily in wait for the crowds to pass. If they took their time, they would have got off at the same rate, perhaps faster.

"Beach! Beach! Beach! Beach!"

The classes started their chant again dwindling away as they exited which meant it was time for him to leave, standing up slowly shuffling his legs to the side. It wasn't as if the ocean was anything special. It was just water with salt, sand, pollution, sharks, and other large flesh-eating mammals.

"You don't look happy to be on an excursion, un."

That tone again, the one that caused a sudden snap of his head up startled expecting to be alone only that he was not. Younger and brighter with an apparent issue stopping him from pronouncing words correctly. The feeling was so close that he could almost touch it. So familiar. So nearly in his grasp, fingers reaching for the piece that dangled in front of them and them boom, back into nothing except for the tag as a reminder to consider it later.

"In reality, it is no different to any other day," the Uchiha shrugged giving his retort.

Nevertheless, something was different. What was it?

Together they got off the bus, soon parting in separate directions not spending the time with each other outside of the view of peers. Deidara had his friends; he had the dense air around him. Itachi was not the person to be hanging out with, although, he wished he was deep down. The brunette pulled his backpack on over his shoulders, sinking into the sand with a couple of steps looking around for where to go. There was a purpose for being here. Slacking off was completely forbidden.

Over in the far distance laid a large composition of rocks and caves worthwhile of exploring. No one would miss him if he took the chance to venture off on his own as long as he was back in time for roll call at lunch. Walking away from the crowds running for the salty ocean and playing with their friends in the deep blue, Itachi set off away from it all, just to be alone. The way it should be.

Roll call came and gone without Itachi's return, Deidara stepping up for him explaining he had ran into the toilet ten minutes ago and from the smell, he would not be out for a while. The teachers had bought the excuse since they had no reason to doubt one of their top class students was feeling ill in the stomach and continued with their plans.

It was not at all like him to just take off like that, he was the level-headed one, the one who was presumably sitting down somewhere on a small rock taking observations like they should have been doing instead of having fun. If it were not for the fun that they had together on a one on one basis then he would have believed that Itachi was in reality born an adult. Deidara, however, was not, perking up to the happy calls to get his butt back in the water, complying with a dash back towards the waves belly flopping against the crashes. Once Itachi had returned, he was going to drag his ass in there to enjoy part of this trip.

Past midday, the hottest time of the day for the summer period. Temperatures were at peak, able to fry an egg and other assortment of thin-layered food on a surface that retained the heat. Anyone who was out of the water was now back into it to stay cool, the ones taken to the shore trying to get a tan sweltered with hopes that their sun block was going to hold up between applications.

A few could not handle the unrelenting rays, ducking for shade, drinking down fluids to rejuvenate the body, gust of dry heat could be seen visibly rising off the sand making them appear hotter than it already was. It was not the time of the day to be active without proper precautions, a drink of cover. Itachi had not heeded those warnings, trudging back alone the coastline dragging the backpack with him that felt ten times heavier than it was originally. Nothing new inside of it except a few scribes from observations over the walk, most of the pages actually blank caught up instead thinking of the incident on the bus.

He must have been delirious or sleep deprived. Triggering some kind of memory that never occurred only believing that it was in his mind, a movie or TV show might have had the same situation. However, no matter how much he tried to contradict himself, nothing could disprove that it was happening frequently as of late. Small things, nothing large. A touch, a look, a tone, a smell. Like an amnesia patient trying to regain the past, he too thought that there was something there. Something significant that was missing from his riddle except when it came time to find out, it was too late.

Stumbling towards the group of boys playing around in the water, Itachi rubbed his eyes to clear the white speckles in his sight. His throat parched despite the extra salivation his body was producing to compensate, having trouble swallowing around his swollen tongue. Maybe he had walked for too long.

All but one of the group laughed loudly at the disorientated teen, pointing at his misfortune finding it highly amusing. Deidara was not in the mood to be joining in with them. Itachi looked… off. "Hey, you okay?" he called out.

The brunette blinked a couple more times fighting to regain the focus, looking over at the blond with a slightly crooked neck to the side. Of course, he was okay; he only went for a walk after all. A trickle down his face made him shiver, touching the area feeling wetness warmer than sweat, thicker than most liquids. He examined it with the pad of his thumb circling over the index and middle, looking down at smeared red across the tips. More droplets followed into the palm of his hand from his face that just did not seem correct. Holding the cupped hand under his face, he looked over at Deidara deliriously confused on why he was losing liquid from his body.

"It's just like the anime!" "Yeah totally." "I bet he got a hard on over Deidara."

He could not stand to listen to their childish banter anymore. Was he just like them before, sounding that stupid and obnoxious? Itachi had just started bleeding from his nose and they were acting like moronic retards who thought it was entertaining to see like animated characters that spewed blood from their nose after seeing a big-breasted girl. No one did that because it looked fun. There had to be something wrong with him.

"Immature idiots, un," Deidara spat under his breath, walking towards the swaying tower of Itachi. He looked pale or it could have been the sunlight reflecting off his skin, which was his job to find out. "Itachi, where did you go?" he asked him with a keen eye.

Deidara did not get the answer fast enough from him, temporarily blacking out falling backwards embedding and sinking into the soft sand. He should have rushed towards the Uchiha to help him out but inwardly, he could not deny that it was a hilarious site seeing someone just thudding against the ground like that. Repercussions of the catnap he was getting were not as enjoyable, hooking under his arms dragging the dead weight up the beach to the cover of the picnic area, into the shade propping him up on the park bench.

It was only a short doze at that, coming back around face down against the wooden table, peering over at Deidara ripping his tank top off wringing it out from seawater. Itachi knew that he should look away and respect the boundaries of privacy, but his eyes drew towards him. Never had he found anyone sexually attractive or pleasing enough to admire for a long period. Deidara had a certain quality that was appealing with his mismatched looks, feminine exterior put out of place by his baritone voice. Not that he would admit it aloud, but the blond was striking.

Ogling at him behind his arms was not going to suffice for long, groaning while he lifted his head into a tilt, tasting the bitter liquid trickling down his throat. Maybe it was the momentary black out that caused his thoughts to think such things that was the only explanation that he could give, generosity could have been another factor when the removed garment carefully placed across his face cooling it down and soaking up the blood.

"Wait here, un. I'll get you something to drink," Deidara told him, leaving Itachi's eyes to track him when he ran off.

What was it about him? That was all that Itachi could think about. There could not be a chance that he was developing some kind of strange feelings towards him, some sort of schoolyard crush that the girls got, scribbling their name and the other parties down surrounding it with an adjoining love heart. Absurd. He would never succumb to that level. There had to be another explanation.

However, there was no chance to think about that as Deidara joined him by his side again, pushing over the bottle of Gatorade telling him to sip it slowly to replenish the water he had lost. Certainly, his initial conception of Deidara had changed since that day at arriving at school. He was not deficient in brainpower, not at all, more that it wasted away on unnecessary focus, on those 'friends' of his that were like leeches sucking the potential out of him.

"I do not know what happened," Itachi explained, alternating between the slow sips of drink and checking the shirt to see if the blood had stopped flowing.

"Let me try and explain this in something that you will understand more, un," Deidara told him with a stiff nod. "Itachi plus walking, with the variables of heat and dehydration. Adding an error margin of hmm... 80 percent for forgetting water bottle equals overheating."

Itachi had to drag the shirt down lower over his mouth to stop himself from laughing; hiding his amusement at was not at the blond's expense. That reason was inventive he would give him that. "Is that all?"

"I left out the additional variations for stupidity."

Okay, okay. He had him on that one. Going off into unchartered sands in the scorching heat of the sun without proper precautions would not be the highlight of his life. In fact, it was a brainless low point.

"I haven't had a blood nose since I was young," Itachi complained about it in a nasal voice from the pinched bridge.

The last time that he could remember something like this happening was when he had spent too much time outside playing in the sun, ignoring his mother's calls to come back from the park for lunch and a cool drink. In fact, he was not alone that time as well; he had his friend… friend…

Pulling the compress away from his face wiping away the left over blood, the Uchiha blinked a couple of times at Deidara feeling that same far off scene once again. "Have you ever had déjà vu?"

"From time to time but there is nothing special about it, un. Why?"

This sensation he was facing always revolved around Deidara and no one else, tied only to him. He wanted to ask him if he felt anything of the sorts around him when they were together, any element had set one off inside his head but it was so ridiculous that there was no point.

"Just making conversation," Itachi covered up his reason. "Thank you for your help. You did not need to pull yourself away from your companions."

Deidara snorted at him, breaking out into hysterical laughter for no apparent reason except he had found one that Itachi was not seeing. There was no time to ask for an explanation from him with the call for everyone to return to the bus, time to leave their water paradise and back to school to finish off their day.

Itachi held out the shirt to return to him but Deidara had bolted back for his belongings and the group that he had left behind. His nose was still seeping so he would wash it out and return it to him later, keeping it pressed over his face, picking up his backpack and energy drink, returning to the bus and the near back seat he had taken before.

All of the groups piled back in taking to where they were sitting before, still vacant next to him. Resting his head against the window, he stared back at his own reflection sighing at himself for not saying something. He had a friend, one that he left behind so long ago, that drifted away never to be in contact with again. Itachi cycled through his memories to point out the moments they had shared together, wanting to remember a time when someone accepted him, not ran off to be with others. The name was on the tip of his tongue, his big smile, and missing baby teeth the only part of him that he could remember.

"Hey."

The position shifted from the weight pressing to the chair next to him, sinking down to the side up against the leg at his side. That familiar voice, the ghosting reflection in the side window, the tassels of blond locks feathering over his shoulder as he lowered. Deidara had sat down next to him. "Why are you . . .?" he asked, cut off by the tug of his chin around to face him.

"Look like you need a friend, un."

That smile, almost ear to ear in a Cheshire cat grin. It was nearly identical to that image in his mind. Teeth were all in place again but the blue showing through the squinted slits for eyes, puffed up by his rosy cheeks that still had a touch of baby fat to them. It had to be a coincidence. It was only a hallucination produced by the affect of the sun frying Itachi's brain, haunted by memories that did not exist now projected forth onto Deidara. Of course, he was not that boy from all those years ago. Or was he?

"I think your fan club does not like that notion," Itachi motioned his head over towards the bewildered faces that beckoned him to stop being an idiot and to come back.

"Meh, I don't care," replied Deidara, shrugging back at them uninterested. "You should try and get some sleep on the way back. I'll make sure no one throws spitballs at your head, un."

Itachi didn't agree with the recommendation at first, staying awake when they started moving back on the road, having a conversation with Deidara. It moved between anything and everything that normal teenagers would talk about without the squealing and the bullshit talk, natural conversation that friends, not acquaintances would have. Halfway back the talking stopped by the peaceful breathing from the Uchiha, head resting against the glass failing to win the fight over the argument of just resting my eyes.

It was just after 5PM that they arrived back at the school grounds, all of the students running off the bus heading straight for their awaiting parents except for two. One of the teachers approached the back seats towards the pair resting peacefully, Itachi still against the window and Deidara leaning on his shoulder. He told them it was time to leave gently so he did not startle them, shaking their shoulders to rouse them awake.

Groans and complaints came from the blond while he tried to push him away, telling the teacher that it was Saturday and he was allowed to sleep in, the brunette only rubbed his eyes and sat forward, dropping Deidara's head off jerking back into mid air. That woke him up at least. Itachi followed the zombie's moans and shuffles down the aisle and out of the motor vehicle, looking around for his mother but she was not there. Deidara's wasn't either.

"Do you want to . . . stay . . . the night?" Itachi asked unsure if he wanted him to, but felt like he had to offer.

Deidara yawned widely, stretching his arms up crackling all the bones and cartilage down his back, trying to wake himself up. "I'm going to see my father this weekend so I'll catch ya on Monday." Not that he shared that information with anyone else; they all thought he was going to a wild college party.

Nodding in agreement, they both turned their directions and stared walking home. Before he could get too far away, Itachi turned back, looking over at the petite blond to get that one final gaze. Was it a random concurrence or did he truly know Deidara from previous place, previous time? And if so, was he the only one aware or just the false sense of security that you get from déjà vu?


End file.
